The Divine Physician of Mount Okhwa
“So you’re saying the Divine Physician of Life and Death is on Mount Okhwa in Chongqing?”
“That’s what I’ve heard. It seems there’s something you need to obtain from Mount Okhwa.”
The Divine Physician of Life and Death was once called the Greatest Physician in the Central Plains. He had treated the Emperor of the Central Plains and received countless treasures in return. With that wealth, he cared for the sick and performed many good deeds, earning respect from officials, the martial world, and merchants alike.
The rumors were so widespread that even the Heavenly Demon, the lord of the Demonic Cult, was said to have shown him the utmost courtesy. Few people in the world commanded such universal respect.
“Is there something extraordinary on Mount Okhwa?”
“I cannot say for certain. The Divine Physician is obsessed with healing. He collects all manner of strange things and uses them in his treatments.”
“Really? What if someone dies under his care?”
“That is precisely why he is called the Divine Physician of Life and Death. He has saved many lives, but he has also taken many.”
Understanding the reason behind the title, Cheonhwa nodded.
“Still, by sharing his methods with other physicians, he contributed greatly to the advancement of medicine.”
“Is there no one else besides him?”
“If you search, you may find others. But it will be difficult to find anyone whose medical skill rivals his.”
“Understood. The fastest route would be to travel by boat along the Yangtze River, correct?”
“It would be. Though it may be somewhat tedious, you could save three or four days.”
“Thank you, Uncle Mu-yeong.”
“No need for thanks. I gave one thing and received another in return. It was merely a transaction. Take good care of our children.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll train them well enough to stand against the Ten Great Clans.”
“Good. I’m grateful. And this is the elixir you requested earlier. It was difficult to obtain, so use it wisely.”
Mu-yeong handed Cheonhwa the box that had been resting beside him.
“It will be of great help to the growth of the maternal clan. Thank you very much.”
“Then I shall take my leave.”
“Yes. Once the maternal clan is somewhat settled, I’ll come visit. And if you ever need my help, come find me anytime.”
“Understood. Still, you know better than to let your guard down in the martial world, don’t you?”
Cheonhwa smiled, and Mu-yeong nodded in response before rising from his seat.
After Mu-yeong left the room, Cheonhwa remained alone. A short while later, Ga-wol entered.
“Did your conversation with the Branch Leader go well?”
“Yes. I received a great deal of help.”
“Our Haomun children will arrive here soon.”
“Understood. It may be difficult to teach them martial arts here, so it would be better for them to live in seclusion on Mount Kun and train away from prying eyes.”
“Mount Kun?”
“Yes. Our Haedong Merchant Group’s escorts are already training there. We’ve found a suitable location. They can live and train there while the merchant group supplies their daily necessities.”
“Daily necessities?”
“Things like food, shelter, and other essentials.”
“Understood. I will report it to the higher-ups accordingly. Also, there is information that the Gangsu Merchant Group and Wolyeongmun have begun moving, targeting the gambling houses operating in Taihu and Hongze Lake.”
“They’ve taken the bait. The gambling houses will give us a legitimate reason to clash with Wolyeongmun.”
“However, Cheonhwa-nim, even if we defeat Wolyeongmun, the Warlord Alliance will not remain idle.”
“But they won’t find any evidence that we annihilated Wolyeongmun. My father always used to say something.”
“The Young Lord?”
“Yes. When facing a powerful enemy, one must first learn how to conceal.”
“Conceal? If they investigate, they will discover everything. Moreover, they will demand information from us as well.”
Cheonhwa smiled brightly.
“They won’t. There are far too many villains in this world. And villains always leave traces wherever they go.”
Ga-wol could not understand what Cheonhwa meant.
“Such things exist. You’ll come to understand later. I should be going now. Grandfather has been worried about me frequenting courtesan houses lately.”
“Understood. If you need any information in the future, I will deliver it to Sinfungjang.”
“No. I’ll come myself. And for the time being, I won’t be around. So if any problems arise, coordinate with Sinfungjang to resolve them.”
“Are you going far away?”
“It’s a matter of finding someone. It may take some time.”
After saying this, Cheonhwa left the room. Ga-wol watched his retreating figure and shook her head.
“He truly is an unfathomable person.”
Cheonhwa was in the underground training hall beneath his room, accompanied by So-ryong. So-ryong sat in a lotus position while Cheonhwa positioned himself behind him.
“It will be painful. Still, since you haven’t fully matured yet, that’s somewhat reassuring. But forcibly opening the meridians will inevitably involve a certain degree of suffering.”
“I can endure it.”
“Good. Without that level of resolve, you would be better off learning something other than martial arts if you wish to succeed.”
Cheonhwa repeated the words his father had once spoken to him.
“The world divides people into geniuses, prodigies, talents, and dullards. But that is mistaken.”
So-ryong listened attentively.
“Everyone is born with at least one outstanding talent. We simply fail to recognize it and walk a different path.”
“Are you saying martial arts is not suited for me?”
“No. I mean there may be another field where you could display talent even greater than in martial arts. When traveling a road, two paths appear. Faced with choosing one, you picked a single path.”
Though So-ryong could not fully grasp Cheonhwa’s meaning, he sensed the words held profound significance for him.
“But after walking for a long time, you realize the path leads in a different direction than you desired. What will you do? Will you turn back and take the other path, or continue forward on the one you’re on?”
“If it were me……”
So-ryong could not answer. Cheonhwa smiled at his hesitation.
“You have not walked the wrong path, only a different one. Therefore, you may return to the beginning and start anew, or continue pressing forward. What matters is that you do not stop.”
“Ah……”
“People often speak of perseverance, patience, and effort.”
“I understand what you mean.”
“Yes. And all roads connect. If you continue advancing diligently, you will eventually reach your desired destination. The only difference is whether it takes a little longer or shorter.”
“I will keep this in mind, Brother.”
“I believe you will always make the right choice, So-ryong, without rushing, and become a proud younger brother who strives to achieve his goals. That is why I want you to help Cheon-sang and guide Jin-hwa well.”
So-ryong nodded.
“Take the elixir and circulate the Heart Art of the Twelve Flames. I will assist you.”
“Thank you, Brother.”
So-ryong brought the elixir to his lips. The moment it touched them, it melted like a lie and flowed into his mouth.
So-ryong began circulating the Heart Art of the Twelve Flames that Cheonhwa had taught him. A small surge of energy stirred in his dantian, then escaped and flowed along the meridians guided by the art.
Cheonhwa infused his own energy through So-ryong’s Mingmen acupoint and began controlling the elixir’s energy as it traveled up the neck.
When Cheonhwa’s vast energy enveloped the elixir’s energy, the latter offered no resistance and moved as directed.
The energy moving from So-ryong’s dantian met Cheonhwa’s energy at the Huiyin point, the starting point of the Ren meridian.
Cheonhwa slowly withdrew his own energy, allowing the elixir’s energy and So-ryong’s energy to merge.
Because So-ryong’s energy was weak, the elixir’s energy instantly devoured it.
“Ugh!”
The pain that followed dominated So-ryong’s entire body. His face, contorted in an effort to endure, gradually flushed red.
Move the energy. Use the Heart Art to complete one full circulation and gather the scattered energies within your body.
At Cheonhwa’s transmitted voice, So-ryong tried to move the energy by circulating the Heart Art despite the pain.
The elixir’s energy seemed to dislike being controlled and thrashed even more violently, intensifying the agony.
Endure. If you lose this battle of wills, you will have to take a much longer detour.
Cheonhwa could only urge So-ryong to endure; he could not provide direct assistance at this moment.
Veins bulged on So-ryong’s face as if they might burst. Even while enduring the pain, he stubbornly circulated the Heart Art, guiding the energy and attempting to complete one full cycle.
Watching this, Cheonhwa could imagine how much humiliation and contempt So-ryong had endured at the Wulin Alliance.
Cheonhwa observed him, hoping he would overcome this ordeal.
The elixir’s energy tried to move against the meridians So-ryong guided, and So-ryong seized it. The energy struggled to break free with force, and So-ryong held it with sheer will.
His eyes turned blood-red, fine blood vessels forming before bursting, staining them crimson. The engorged veins beneath his eyes also ruptured with a soft pop, and dark blood trickled down his cheeks to the floor.
Hisss!
A faint wisp of smoke, barely visible, flared for an instant before vanishing.
Cheonhwa’s eyes gleamed at the sight.
During the struggle between the elixir’s energy and So-ryong’s will, the meridians had expanded, creating wider pathways for greater energy flow.
Normally, the meridians expand from the lower Ren meridian upward, but So-ryong is moving in reverse. It seems the elixir’s energy is still stronger than his will.
Cheonhwa prepared himself just in case. If So-ryong were dragged along by the elixir’s energy, he could fall into qi deviation.
If Cheonhwa intervened, he could prevent deviation, but doing so would force So-ryong to take a long detour—or perhaps never reach his goal at all.
Yet he had no choice. Without help, So-ryong would fall into qi deviation and become crippled for life, unable to cultivate martial arts. That outcome had to be prevented.
Just as Cheonhwa reached out toward So-ryong’s Baihui acupoint to assist, So-ryong’s expression shifted slightly.
Though still pained, he appeared more at ease than before, as if he had gained control over the elixir’s energy.
Cheonhwa could not be certain from So-ryong’s flushed face and decided to wait a little longer.
As time passed, So-ryong gradually stabilized, and Cheonhwa felt a quiet joy.
You’ve worked hard.
He could tell So-ryong had won the difficult battle of wills.
Whooooom!
As the elixir’s energy completed one full circulation according to the Heart Art of the Twelve Flames under So-ryong’s command, a faint, soft glow enveloped his entire body.
Move the energy back to the Huiyin point. Then, starting from the Guanyuan acupoint……
Responding to Cheonhwa’s voice, So-ryong directed the energy—now his own—to pierce through the Ren meridian, one of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians.
If So-ryong had been in his twenties, fully grown, Cheonhwa would have used his own internal energy to open the blocked acupoints. But So-ryong was only fifteen, still in his growing years.
Since few impurities had accumulated in So-ryong’s meridians, the elixir’s energy alone could burn them away. Cheonhwa guided him to do so himself.
As always, things that come too easily are rare. The same holds true for martial arts. Martial arts belong to the realm of imagination.
Cheonhwa passed on the words he had heard from his mother. But So-ryong could no longer properly hear them.
Once freed from the pain, So-ryong lost consciousness. Now, guided only by instinct, he followed the voice echoing in his mind and continued moving the energy.
Cheonhwa had experienced this himself and understood it to some degree. He spoke anyway because even words heard unconsciously would feel more familiar the next time they were heard.
By constantly contemplating and bringing your imagination into the realm of possibility, you will attain another enlightenment.