Chapter 193: Only I’ll Know the Good Stuff (1)
Chapter 193: Only I’ll Know the Good Stuff (1)
Patrick looked into the eyes of the young Elf standing before him and spoke with a warm gaze.
“Now, don’t you worry. I’m going to fix those side effects right up.”
“Is that true?”
“Of course. First, I want you to do exactly as I say. Sit down right here, legs like this… arms like that… There, good boy. Yes, that’s it.”
Patrick had the gaunt young Elf sit in a cross-legged position and placed his hands on the youth’s back.
“From now on, you mustn’t speak. You mustn’t move, either. Stay perfectly still until I say we’re done.”
“……”
The young Elf nodded obediently.
Patrick then began the process in earnest, connecting their Ki Meridians to perform True Qi Guidance.
He had performed True Qi Guidance once before through Elione, but he checked the youth’s physical condition first just in case.
After examining the internal state of the body, he reached a conclusion.
It’s not that different from a human’s.
The internal structure of the Elves wasn't significantly different from that of humans. He was also able to identify the problem immediately.
Tsk, tsk. His primordial qi is quite damaged.
In the terms of the Martial World, it was a mild case of Qi Deviation.
The overflowing energy in the Aura Hall was spreading recklessly through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, causing issues here and there.
I knew it.
He didn't know exactly what the Aura Blessing they practiced was, but from Patrick’s perspective, the Aura Blessings of this world were far too crude.
Likely because the density of mana was so high, the techniques had developed with the mindset that one simply needed to absorb energy and diligently condense as much as possible into the Aura Hall.
Their understanding of the meridians is far too lacking. That’s why things go wrong like this.
If he could just straighten out the recklessly flowing energy, this young Elf’s condition would improve drastically. However…
“This is going to hurt a bit. But remember, don’t open your mouth.”
“Mmph!”
Patrick stealthily struck the youth’s pressure points to immobilize him.
From this point on, he would forcibly pierce through the Ki Meridians and redirect the flow. This meant the youth would experience pain on the level of actual torture.
Thus, only after suppressing the pressure points did Patrick begin the True Qi Guidance in earnest.
“Ugh… Mmph…”
“Now, now. Endure it. Just endure.”
“Gggghhh…!”
Drenched in cold sweat, the Elf wanted to open his mouth and scream for him to stop, but his jaw wouldn't budge. He couldn't move a single inch of his body.
“That’s it. You’re doing great. Let’s hold on just a little longer.”
“Uuuugh… Mmph…”
Watching the youth endure while dripping with sweat from the agony, the other Elves were struck with admiration.
“Was Arios’s mental fortitude always that strong?”
“Impressive.”
“Hmm, magnificent.”
His comrades marveled at him.
He… Help me…
Sometimes, it’s better not to know the truth.
Fifteen minutes later.
“Phew. All done.”
Patrick let out a long sigh and pulled his hands away from the youth’s back.
Before him, the young Elf lay collapsed, twitching and drenched in cold sweat.
It was Arios, who had just finished the True Qi Guidance.
Looking at the result with pride, Patrick wiped the sweat from his brow as if he had just performed a truly noble deed.
“Alright, who’s next?”
In that instant, every single Elf took a step back in unison.
This is insane…
What kind of Aura Blessing is that?
I even heard the sound of bones shifting in the middle.
Torture has a powerful effect not only on the victim but also on those watching.
“Julius. You go first.”
“No, I’m perfectly healthy.”
“Delian, didn’t you say you’ve had headaches ever since you started training your Aura?”
“I’m all better now.”
“Me too.”
The Elves desperately tried to distance themselves from Patrick.
Seeing this, Patrick clicked his tongue.
“Now, now. Do you really expect to achieve results without any pain? A martial artist should enjoy the pain. Back in my day, even when my muscles were tearing and my Dantian was rupturing, I felt a sense of accomplishment, thinking, ‘Ah, I’ve overcome another wall.’ I was proud!”
Patrick’s words only served to instill greater terror in the Elves.
Riman, who had been listening, spoke as if he found it absurd.
“He says such illogical nonsense with such a straight face. Don’t you agree?”
Riman looked to the side for agreement, but Matthew, Isabella, and April replied:
“Huh? Isn’t what he said correct?”
“That’s just the truth.”
“The Young Master always speaks the truth.”
Training = Pain = Achievement.
This trinity of a formula had been etched into the minds of those trained directly by Patrick as an undeniable fact.
Riman took a step further away and thought to himself.
I must make sure I don’t get brainwashed like them.
Whether he could actually manage that was another matter entirely…
“Ugh… Uuuugh…”
Arios, who had lost consciousness, opened his eyes.
“Am… Am I alive?”
Having regained consciousness amidst deathly pain, he immediately looked at Patrick with eyes full of resentment the moment he sat up.
“Double Dragoooon!”
As the youth glared at him while gnashing his teeth, Patrick gave him a bright smile.
“Oh, you’re awake. How does your body feel?”
“Do you even have to ask? I thought I was going to d— Wait?”
Arios, who had jumped up to give Patrick a piece of his mind, suddenly lost his words.
His physical condition had changed.
There was no immediate change to his outward appearance, but his entire body was brimming with vitality, and the chronic pain that had been plaguing him had vanished completely.
It felt as if his entire body was a set of perfectly meshed gears, turning flawlessly.
What is this… No, more importantly…
His Aura was flowing smoothly, and his physical state was perfectly tuned. But there was something even more important.
Arios moved his trembling hands and whispered in a tiny voice.
“Sylph.”
Ever since the World Tree’s condition had worsened, the Elves had been refraining from summoning spirits as much as possible.
But in this moment, he couldn't help himself.
He had to check.
He had to know if this vivid Spirit Power he felt in his heart wasn't an illusion.
And then…
A tiny green girl appeared at his fingertips.
The moment he saw that being, wrapped in wind and wearing a mischievous smile…
“Ugh… Hhh…”
Arios collapsed, sobbing. And then…
“Wh… What…”
“Hey, look at that…”
“My god… Oh… Ohhh…”
The other Elves watching the scene were also struck with shock.
What had appeared at Arios’s fingertips was undoubtedly a spirit.
It was only a low-level spirit that even an Elven child could summon, but Arios—who had trained his Aura and reached the 3-Star Level—had successfully summoned a spirit.
Arios stared at the spirit as if he couldn't believe it and stroked it with his fingertip.
The spirit of wind giggled and twisted its body as if the touch tickled. Seeing that, tears streamed down Arios’s cheeks again.
“Ah… Aaaaah…”
He had chosen to sacrifice himself for the sake of the tribe.
But he couldn't help the immense despair of no longer being able to summon spirits.
Pain and despair.
A terrible sense of emptiness.
A life where the connection with spirits was severed was nothing short of a living hell for the Elves.
But in this moment, that agony had ended.
A spirit had appeared at his fingertips once again.
He had thought such a moment would never come again.
Arios turned his head toward Patrick and…
Thud!
“Thank you, Double Dragon.”
“……”
“So this was why. This was why… You helped me even while putting me through that hellish pain for this very reason.”
“……”
“I didn't realize and dared to resent and doubt you. Please, forgive my foolishness.”
“……”
“I will never doubt you again for the rest of my life. And I will repay this debt even if it costs me everything. I, Arios of the Blue Moss Tribe, swear this upon the honor of my tribe and my very soul.”
Faced with this solemn and steadfast oath, Patrick thought to himself:
Wow, jackpot.
Patrick’s original goal was simply to use the Supreme Purity Mental Method to fix the flow of the Elves’ Aura, putting them in his debt and gaining their cooperation.
Naturally, if their Ki flowed properly, the side effects would vanish and their potential for growth would increase.
So, it was a win-win situation, right?
But he hadn't dreamed that they would be able to call upon spirits again.
I was aiming for a chicken and caught a pheasant. Wait, if that’s the case…
Though it was an unexpected situation, Patrick spoke with a benevolent smile.
“Hmm, it seems you’ve finally understood my intentions.”
“Lord Patrick…”
“That is correct. I have come here to teach you this ‘unique’ and ‘secret’ Aura Blessing in order to return the spirits to all of you.”
“Ohhh…!”
What a total scammer.
*
His Master had told him countless times.
When you help someone, you don’t do it expecting a reward. You do it simply because it’s the right thing to do. Do you understand?
And that teaching…
“Kaaaah. Master, so this is why you should just help people for no reason. By not making a big deal out of it, an even bigger reward comes back. You should have told me sooner.”
…was passed down in a heavily distorted manner.
[That’s not it. I told you that’s not it.]
The Master who would have said that wasn't here.
Patrick performed True Qi Guidance on all fifty Elven warriors, injecting them with the Supreme Purity Mental Method.
Performing True Qi Guidance on that many people was no easy task.
However, even while drenched in sweat, he didn't stop until he finished every last one. That was the only way…
Elven workers. Elven workers who will volunteer for free without pay.
…to get his hands on a free labor force.
Or in this case, was it Elf-power?
Regardless, as a result, the Elven warriors were once again able to communicate with spirits.
The depth of their emotion was beyond words.
For a human, it would be as if a blind person regained their sight or a person who lost their legs stood up once more.
In the face of this miracle, the young Elven warriors offered Patrick their sincere gratitude and swore upon their names and the honor of their tribes to repay the favor.
In other words, what this meant was…
“Hehehehe. Doing good deeds really does bring in free workers. Master, if doing good was this great, you should have told me sooner!”
Patrick knew.
If his Master were here, he would have clutched the back of his neck and fainted in exasperation.
But so what?
He wasn't here.
“Hehehe. Anyway, this is a total jackpot.”
The first button of the plan had been fastened perfectly.
To be precise, it had been fastened a bit too well.
It was fifty people today, but now they’ll bring in other Aura practitioners from the Reformist Faction. And once this spreads beyond the Reformists to the Traditionalists…
It would likely cause an uproar.
“Kekekeke… What? Humans can’t be trusted? You can’t entrust the World Tree to us? Let’s see how long you can keep talking that crap.”
Power moves from the top down, but authority gathers from the bottom up.
Would the Traditionalist Elves really be able to keep raising their voices in the face of the public opinion formed by so many Elven warriors?
“Bwahahaha! This is the Twin Dragon Sect’s secret martial art: Public Opinion Manipulation!”
[There is no such secret martial art!]
The Sect Leader of the Twin Dragon Sect wasn't here to shout that.
Regrettably. Therefore…
“Hehehehehehe! Fight until your heads burst! Just split apart!”
Now, no one could stop this madman.
*
The elders of the Traditionalist Elves gathered in a hurry.
Despite it not being a regularly scheduled meeting, they gathered with grave expressions.
“This is a disaster. The young ones are all wavering.”
“To think that human possessed such a secret technique…”
“An Aura Blessing that coexists with spirits? It was unthinkable.”
“How is such a thing even possible?”
“No, more importantly, is it actually possible? Could he be using some kind of trickery?”
To the doubting elder, another elder nodded and spoke.
“It is certain. I confirmed it with my own two eyes.”
“How can this be…”
“Oh… Great World Tree.”
The elders were deeply shaken.
It was only natural for their minds to be in chaos, as the common sense they had known was being overturned.
Then, someone spoke up.
“What should we do then? Must we change our current policy?”
“If we change it, then how?”
“Should we not allow the young warriors of the tribe to learn the Aura Blessing? If there are no issues with it, that is.”
“Hmm, shouldn't we?”
“If it is for the sake of the tribe, that would be correct, but…”
The Traditionalist elders agonized.
The reason they had opposed learning the Aura Blessing until now was under the pretext that Aura was a power that conflicted with spirits.
However, now that it was known that Aura and spirits could coexist, that pretext had vanished. Therefore, it was only right for the Traditionalist Elves to allow their warriors to practice Aura cultivation. That was the right thing to do, but…
“If we change our stance now, it is obvious the Reformist Faction will gain the upper hand.”
“Hrrrrm…”
“Sigh…”
“This is a headache.”
This was the problem.
The most serious issue that arises when politics forms factions.
One begins to weigh the gains and losses of the opposing side rather than the right or wrong of the matter itself.
This is a characteristic of the monster known as politics, transcending species.
Even these Elves, the noble descendants of fairies, could not escape the poison of the political monster.
As they acted as the supreme governing body in the absence of the World Tree, fighting to make their voices heard, they had unknowingly begun to think and act for the sake of their own faction—the Traditionalists—rather than for the Elves as a whole.
Of course, not everyone was like that.
“No, is the distinction between Traditionalist and Reformist really what’s important right now?”
“That’s right. We must make the right decision for the future of our race.”
Among them, those less tainted by the mire of politics spoke the truth. However…
“It is not a matter that can be thought of so simply.”
“If the Reformists gain influence because of this, we might have to follow their lead on even bigger issues.”
“We must not simply look at what is right in front of us; we must judge based on the distant future.”
That did not become the majority opinion within the Traditionalist Faction.
Naturally, the others protested.
“No, then are you saying we must forbid something that clearly benefits the tribe?”
“If necessary, yes.”
“Does that make any sense? The children of our tribes are already going to the Double Dragon and requesting to learn the Aura Blessing.”
“We must refuse them.”
“Do you think such self-righteousness is permitted just because you are an elder?”
“Is that not because you failed to manage the tribe properly?”
“What did you just say!?”
In the end, the Traditionalist Elves began to clash and fight amongst themselves. Just then…
“Everyone, calm yourselves for a moment.”
One of the Traditionalist elders spoke in a low voice.
As he, who had been silent and observing the situation until now, opened his mouth, the other tribal leaders fell silent even though his voice wasn't particularly loud.