Chapter 26: Daoist Yin-Yang Manual (22)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 26: Daoist Yin-Yang Manual (22)
"So-hee. Are you alright?"
As I was blankly watching Jin Seo-yun's fight, I heard my mother's voice.
Jin So-hee couldn't hide her surprise at the sight of her mother approaching. Her usual neat and elegant demeanor was nowhere to be seen, replaced by an entirely different aura.
In one hand, she held a sword stained with red blood. It was clear she had dealt with all the warriors from the Black Dragon Gate. The hem of her silk clothes was stained with blood.
"Mother…? What is all this…."
"So-hee. For now, take your father and return with the family's warriors."
Jang Seo-young's gaze turned to Jin Seo-yun, who was in the middle of his fight. Her shadowed eyes wavered with a complex mix of emotions. It was a look of concern.
Watching the battle unfold in the gorge, Jin So-hee felt that the Jin Seo-yun and the mother she knew were now complete strangers. It was as if they had become entirely different people.
"Don't just stand there. Hurry."
Jang Seo-young's cold voice snapped Jin So-hee back to her senses.
"Ah. Yes…"
Unable to hide her confusion, Jin So-hee helped her father up. Her gaze was still fixed on the fight between Jin Seo-yun and Chu Hyung-pae. An unbelievable sight was still playing out before her eyes.
After her daughter left, Jang Seo-young watched the fight from up close. The sparks that flew each time their blades clashed seemed to dance.
It looked like an even match, but Jin Seo-yun was being pushed back, ever so slightly.
She had tried to talk him out of facing Chu Hyung-pae alone before they arrived, but he had insisted on fighting by himself to test his skills, and she couldn't stop him. Jang Seo-young's eyes wavered with complicated feelings. They could have won easily if they had fought together, but she couldn't break his stubbornness.
'Where did he get that stubborn personality…'
Biting her lip, she could only watch the battle. She knew full well that Jin Seo-yun was testing his own limits. But the fear that he might lose his life in the process tightened its grip on her heart.
Clang!
Sparks flew as sword and axe collided. Chu Hyung-pae's ferocious axe strikes grew more and more intense.
'At this rate…'
Jang Seo-young's hand tightened. The momentum of Chu Hyung-pae, who was attacking like a madman with incredible strength, was overwhelming.
Jin Seo-yun's sword was pushed back again. Blood flowed from his shoulder, but his eyes remained cold.
'Gaga…'
Jang Seo-young bit her lip. She was displeased with Jin Seo-yun's insistence on fighting with his own strength. It was a situation where he could lose his life over reckless pride.
"Hahaha! Is this all you've got! Iron Dragon Twin Blades - Blood River Frenzy!"
Chu Hyung-pae's axe cut through the air. Jin Seo-yun barely managed to twist his body to dodge, but his movements were gradually slowing.
Jang Seo-young's hand gripped the hilt of her sword. She couldn't just watch any longer. But at that moment, an unexpected change occurred.
"What…?!"
Chu Hyung-pae's eyes widened at the sudden shift in Jin Seo-yun's aura. The sword style that had been on the defensive was instantly transformed.
The energy radiating from Jin Seo-yun's sword changed. A heat like boiling lava flowed through his blade.
Jang Seo-young sensed the change as well.
'Is this… the energy the two of us shared…?'
In that instant, she remembered the moment they had shared their vital essence through the Yin-Yang Union.
"Keuk!"
Chu Hyung-pae's axe was repelled by Jin Seo-yun's sword and sent flying back. For the first time, a flicker of fear crossed his crazed eyes.
"That's…"
Jang Seo-young gasped. The power Jin Seo-yun was displaying was beyond her expectations.
*
The time was ripe. Chu Hyung-pae's attacks were growing more ferocious, but to my eyes, everything seemed to be moving in slow motion.
The essence I had shared with Jang Seo-young was coursing through my meridians, creating new power. I knew I couldn't maintain it for long.
‘I’ll end this quickly.’
My training with Elder Gu had taught me that the forms of Cheolwon Qigong were quite useful. I was a fool to have ignored them until now.
I unleashed the Jin family's martial arts, which I had disregarded until this point.
"Iron Blood Frenzy."
My blade drew an arc as it sliced through the air. Only after reaching the first-rate realm did I finally understand the meaning of the forms Elder Gu had taught me. There was a reason behind every single movement the blade made.
The sword moved as fluidly as water, wrapping around Chu Hyung-pae's axe. The trajectory of the sword, drawn as if in a dance, neutralized the barbaric axe strikes. His frenzied power scattered as if swept away by a gentle wave.
"Keuk… Where did this suddenly come from…!"
Chu Hyung-pae's eyes wavered. Even in his elixir-induced madness, he could feel his attacks being nullified. For the first time, bewilderment crossed his crazed eyes.
Without stopping, I moved on to the next form.
"Iron Waterfall Descent."
As my sword came down with a heavy step, the earth rumbled.
Like an iron waterfall crashing down from the sky, my sword energy formed a white wave and struck downwards from above.
Chu Hyung-pae hastily crossed his axes to block, but his knees buckled under the overwhelming force of the waterfall-like sword strike. The red aura around him flickered and faded.
'It's about time to end this.'
The internal energy gathered in my dantian flowed through my meridians, erupting from my sword with even greater intensity.
The final form was a technique that was a strain for me to use at my current level.
"Iron Mountain Shattering Heaven."
My sword slowly drew three circles in the air.
The first circle vibrated the earth with a heavy, immense energy like an iron mountain. The second cut through the life force of all creation with a sharp, deadly aura. The final circle engulfed the heavens and earth with an overwhelming sword light that seemed to tear the sky apart.
For a moment, Chu Hyung-pae's eyes filled with horror. Fear, for the first time, flickered in his eyes, which had been red with the madness of the elixir. Before he could even move, the sword light flew toward him.
"This is…"
With a sharp sound, the sword light split his axe. The axe, which had been emitting a red aura, broke in two and flew into the air. The last of the red energy faded from the broken pieces.
"This can't be… I… cough."
Red blood trickled from Chu Hyung-pae's mouth. His eyes, once filled with madness, slowly glazed over as he collapsed limply.
The moment he hit the ground, blood surged up my own throat. It was the price for pushing the essence gained from the Yin-Yang Union beyond its limits.
'Did I overdo it…'
My vision darkened with a sudden wave of dizziness. I had pushed the essence shared with Jang Seo-young too hard, causing the energy within my body to run wild.
As I staggered, a backlash of energy slammed through my entire body. Jang Seo-young rushed over and grabbed my shoulder.
"Gaga! Are you okay?"
I heard Jang Seo-young's worried voice. A gentle stream of internal energy flowed from her hand, enveloping and calming my body.
"Huu… Thank you, Mother."
Thanks to her internal energy, the rampaging essence within me slowly began to stabilize.
Her energy gradually calmed the raging essence in my body.
'Is this my limit…'
I realized that I still couldn't perfectly control the power I'd gained from the Yin-Yang Manual.
"Mother, I need to circulate my qi for a moment."
"Yes, Gaga. I'll stand guard for you."
I sat down and began circulating my qi. I slowly cycled my internal energy through the Small Heavenly Cycle to tame the violent power.
As I continued to circulate my energy, I reviewed the fight.
Chu Hyung-pae's skill was similar to mine. We were both half-baked masters—he, through an elixir, and I, through Sexual Arts. But what I gained from this fight was clear.
How to rapidly circulate internal energy during combat, the precise timing for my footwork, a better sense for judging distance.
All of it was precious experience that would elevate my skills to the next level.
Along with the lessons learned from the battle, my energy gradually stabilized.
'Do I really have to cut back on sex?'
This fight had made me realize it again. The cold, hard reality was that I couldn't get stronger just by increasing the amount of my internal energy.
But I couldn't give up sex. In the end, the only answer was to train even more diligently.
I finished circulating my qi and slowly opened my eyes.
"Gaga, are you finished?"
Jang Seo-young approached and looked at me with worried eyes.
"Yes. Mother, thank you for standing guard."
Her hand gently wrapped around my shoulder.
"You can’t push yourself like this again, Gaga, okay?"
I swallowed my words and simply held her hand. That was answer enough.
"Did Father and So-hee get back safely?"
Even as I spoke, the taste of blood lingered in my mouth.
"The Jin family warriors are escorting them, so don’t worry."
I nodded silently at Jang Seo-young's answer, but a much larger worry was taking root in a corner of my mind.
Man Chu-sam, the leader of the Black Dragon Gate. He was a powerhouse beyond comparison to the man I had just faced.
'The power I have… is still not enough.'
I fell into deep thought, feeling the warmth of Jang Seo-young's hand in mine.
As I am now, I cannot face Man Chu-sam.
A craving to become stronger burned in my chest.
But as I had felt in the fight just now, forcefully drawing out power was dangerous.
The wind blowing through the gorge was chilly.
A premonition that the coming battle would not be easy weighed heavily on my mind.
"Gaga… I think we should be heading back now."
Jang Seo-young's soft voice brought me back to my senses.
I slowly got to my feet. A slight dizziness remained, but I was steady enough to walk.
*
We gathered the surviving warriors and the bodies and returned to the Jin estate.
The rain-soaked main gate opened slowly, letting the gloomy atmosphere seep into the estate. The rain had stopped, but the sky was still gray. A heavy silence had fallen over the residence.
A cart carrying Elder Gu's body entered first. The faces of the warriors who had followed him were etched with a deep sense of loss.
The vassals gathered at the main gate greeted us. Anxiety and impatience were plain to see in their eyes. With the core of the family shattered by the Black Dragon Gate's attack, no one could be certain of the future.
"Young Lord, you've returned safely."
I gave a slight nod and asked the vassal before me.
"Where are Father and So-hee?"
"The Family Head is being treated in the study hall. The Young Lady is by his side, nursing him."
"I see…"
Dragging my body, crushed by fatigue, I made my way to the study hall.
The air inside the estate was still heavy. The vassals' gazes followed me, a mixture of hope and anxiety.
I headed to the study hall with Jang Seo-young. As we opened the door, the doctor who was treating the Jin Family Head looked up.
"Ah, Young Lord. You’re here."
Following his gaze, I saw my father lying on the bed. His right shoulder, heavily wrapped in bandages, was empty. His pale face told me his condition was serious.
"Doctor Wang, how is my father’s condition?"
The doctor's voice was low and somber.
"…Not good. His right arm was completely severed, and the damage to his spine is so severe… he will never be able to walk again."
At that moment, a dead silence fell over the study hall. Jin So-hee, who was sitting by the bed, shed silent tears. Jang Seo-young's face was grim.