Chapter 68: Infiltration (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 68: Infiltration (1)
After their conversation, Seok Myeong returned to Song Yeo-guk’s room.
The moment he stepped inside, Seok Myeong could hardly believe his eyes. Song Yeo-guk was sitting on the bed, his posture solemn and upright.
That wasn't the only surprise.
The man's gaze was calm. His eyes no longer held the rot of emptiness and despair; they were clear, radiating a newfound vitality.
“Do not be so surprised. Come here.”
“Martial Uncle…”
Seok Myeong’s eyes widened as he cautiously approached and took a seat on a chair to the side.
“To what extent have you mastered your martial arts?”
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
“Your realm. I am asking how far you were able to manifest your qigong.”
Seok Myeong hesitated, unable to answer immediately. He didn't understand the intention behind the sudden question.
Song Yeo-guk spoke again. “There is no need to overthink it. Simply tell me what realm you had reached before your internal energy was sealed.”
Seok Myeong’s eyes snapped open. His reaction was one of pure shock—how did he know?
“I knew from the beginning. Despite the intense light of qi in your eyes, your movements were incredibly slow. The only reason I am mentioning this now is because, until recently, I did not consider myself a man of Qingcheng. I abandoned my sword with that mindset. Therefore, I felt no obligation to teach you.”
Seok Myeong lowered his head. There was more weight to that statement than he had expected. Song Yeo-guk was revealing his honest, inner thoughts; it seemed a profound change of heart had occurred.
“But after hearing what you said, I realized my error.”
“...”
“I am talking about what you said earlier. My energy returned briefly, and I was about to leave this place, but then I heard your voice.”
“Martial Uncle…”
“I had forgotten. I only thought of myself and never looked around me. But now, I think I truly understand. I am not alone. Qingcheng was always behind me.”
Seok Myeong thought for a moment before answering the original question.
“I was capable of manifesting Sword Aura.”
“I expected as much… but to what degree?”
“I wasn't perfectly proficient, but it wasn't particularly difficult, either.”
“Hmm, I see. Now, hold out your hand.”
Following Song Yeo-guk’s instruction, Seok Myeong extended his wrist. Song Yeo-guk took his pulse and began to observe the flow within his body.
“Ah! It is the Five Elements Four Changes Formation.”
“It is.”
“I do not know who did this, but they placed a very special formation upon you.”
“...”
“I will not ask who. If you are a disciple of Qingcheng, you must overcome this yourself.”
“Yes.”
“Good. Now, stand up.”
Seok Myeong stood as directed.
“Unfortunately, there is no way to simply 'undo' the Five Elements Four Changes Formation placed on you. This is because it is not a Killing Method, but a Life-Giving Method. A Life-Giving Method must be broken with a Killing Method, but doing so would cause even greater harm to your body. Paradoxically, a Life-Giving Method that is beneficial to the body has become a fatal sealing formation for you.”
“Then is there no way?”
“Well, is there any formation in this world without a solution? If we use a bit of a trick, we can accelerate the day of its release several times over.”
“What is that method?” Seok Myeong asked urgently.
“It is to amplify the power of your External Styles.”
“As I thought!” Seok Myeong shouted reflexively.
It felt like a confirmation that his efforts and the path he was taking were correct.
“Why the sudden outburst?”
“It’s nothing. Please, continue.”
Seok Myeong didn't bother explaining his internal circumstances. Hearing the rest of the explanation was more pressing.
“You have likely heard the phrase Sudo Seonbu—when the water rises, the boat floats. In this context, think of the boat as your inner qi. The external qi is the water. In other words, if you raise the power of your external qi to its limit, the inner qi will naturally follow and flow.”
“Ah…”
“However,” Song Yeo-guk paused for a moment. “There is one condition: how smoothly you can utilize that external power. If the waterway is too narrow or shallow for the boat to pass, it is all for naught.”
“I see.”
“But in your case, there is no need to worry. If you knew how to use Sword Aura, it means you can already use external qi to some extent. I must test just how strong your External Styles are.”
“...”
“First, draw your sword and stand before me. Take that chair behind you and place it in front of you.”
“Yes, sir.”
Following the instructions, Seok Myeong stood a short distance from Song Yeo-guk and placed the chair in front of himself. He drew his sword and looked at the older man.
“From now on, you must cut that chair using only pure external qi and external power.”
He emphasized his point.
“For your information, the power of External Styles originates from the slow-twitch muscles of the body, so I will be looking at strength based on muscular power. Infuse the flow of that qi into your sword.”
As Seok Myeong listened, he realized that what Song Yeo-guk was saying was very similar to the theories he had envisioned himself.
However, Song Yeo-guk didn't actually have high expectations.
‘He is a fledgling, after all. Since he cannot use Sword Aura, he won't be of much help, but if he can at least use some strength, it’s better than nothing.’
How could someone whose internal energy was sealed draw out the full power of external qi? He would be perfectly satisfied if the boy just had enough strength to break the chair. Unlike inner qi, which penetrates deep inside, external qi destroys the form itself.
“Now, give it a try.”
“Understood.”
Seok Myeong gripped his sword and concentrated. He recalled the words: ‘External power is internal energy, and internal energy is external power.’
Recalling this, Seok Myeong remained motionless for a long time.
Simply by reflecting on those words, Seok Myeong felt himself slipping into a realm he had never even imagined. Memories of his past attempts to forcibly convert external power into internal energy surfaced; now that he was told he didn't need to make such an effort, it felt as if a new path was opening before him.
Just as Song Yeo-guk was beginning to feel impatient, Seok Myeong’s sword rose slowly. Without any particular technique, it fell lightly toward the chair.
At that moment—
Crr-rr-ack!
Something unbelievable happened.
The chair was pulverized into dust, its original shape completely unrecognizable.
“How can this be! Just how did you do that?!” Song Yeo-guk cried out in shock.
However, Seok Myeong looked even more surprised, glancing back and forth between the man and the shattered remains. The chair had collapsed, leaving nothing but debris. He remained speechless for a long time.
*
“Idiot. Moron. A guy with a head full of rocks.”
Cheol So-yeon sat by the window, fuming with irritation. It was because of Seok Myeong. She hated how he decided and acted on everything however he pleased.
To begin with, there was no such thing as loyalty among the Unorthodox Faction. This was a world where you were devoured the moment you showed weakness. Thus, Cheol So-yeon hadn't felt any repulsion when he suggested attacking other unorthodox groups.
But this was different. He was trying to fight a battle he couldn't win. No, even if he did win, it would only lead them deeper into a quagmire.
“...!”
As Cheol So-yeon was walking down the hallway, she ran into Seok Myeong coming from the opposite direction.
“I’m leaving,” she said, her voice laced with discontent. “I don't want to die a dog's death staying with you.”
She turned her gaze away. She had nothing else to say, and she didn't want to drag out the conversation while she was on her way out. As she brushed past his shoulder, Seok Myeong’s voice caught her steps.
“Thank you.”
“...”
“For following me this far. Having you by my side gave me strength.”
Seok Myeong met Cheol So-yeon’s eyes and continued. “Please be sure to tell Cheol Gun. Tell him that if I return alive, I want to fight him one more time. So, tell him to wait until then.”
Cheol So-yeon frowned. “Tell him that yourself.”
She turned around quickly to walk away, but Seok Myeong caught her again.
“And Lady So-yeon, there is something I haven't told you yet.”
“...”
“You are a good person.”
“Are you mocking me?”
“No. I am telling you one of the two things I’ve realized while staying with you.”
Cheol So-yeon hesitated for a moment before asking, “Then what is the other one?”
Seok Myeong smiled. “I thought my junior sister Yeon-hui was the only woman with a beautiful heart...”
“...”
“But I’ve realized that you have one too, Lady So-yeon.”
*
After Seok Myeong left, Song Yeo-guk’s gaze remained fixed on one spot. It was the remains of the chair that had been smashed—no, completely pulverized into powder.
‘If he has accumulated this much power, his internal energy should have returned several times over by now...’
It was a power that defied logic. If one used this much force, the internal energy should have certainly returned, pulled along by the external power.
‘Or is it that the boat hasn't floated yet? Is his internal energy so vast and deep that even this much power cannot bring it back?’
He couldn't be sure. Though he prided himself on studying External Styles, he had never encountered such a phenomenon.
His mind became a mess of complicated thoughts. He grew curious about the boy named Seok Myeong. The fact that he could use Sword Aura in the past was surprising enough, but he wondered what kind of cultivation he had undergone to be able to use such external power.
Slide.
While he was lost in thought, the door opened and someone entered. It was Cheol So-yeon.
“You were awake.”
“I was.”
He maintained a polite and formal demeanor. Seeing this, Cheol So-yeon’s attitude became more cautious. She sensed an aura from him that was different from before.
“But what brings you here? Seeking me out at this late hour.”
“I came to see if you could teach me something.”
“...Teach you what?”
“The method to keep my breathing steady. You said I needed to do that if I wanted to use daggers, didn't you?”
Song Yeo-guk shook his head. “There is no need for you to get swept up in this. Seok Myeong is helping me not for my sake, but to protect the spirit of Qingcheng. You don't need to help me...”
“What are you talking about?”
“...”
“I’m leaving. I just want to learn it before I go.”
“Ah...”
“Are you going to teach me or not?”
Song Yeo-guk hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded.
“I will teach you. In exchange...” A brief smile played on his lips. “I have one condition. Will you hear it?”