Chapter 68
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Another Enlightenment
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In the remote manor on the outskirts of Namchang, where torches blazed like wildfire, men clad in black garments had gathered.
"How shall we handle tonight's raid?"
"We'll proceed as planned."
"Fresh news just came in. They spotted new figures entering Hoyeon Manor."
"New figures?"
"It was too dark to confirm properly, but they said the one leading the group appeared to be a scholar."
"Heh heh, a scholar? What could a puny scholar do? For Hoyeon Manor to request reinforcements and get a scholar of all things."
"They said there were several martial artists with him. About ten, maybe?"
"Even if they're martial artists brought by the scholar, what of it? And even if they were experts, ten of them couldn't hold off our cult's elites. Perfect timing, too—our cult's elites are arriving tonight, aren't they?"
"A hundred from the Celestial Ironblood Corps have been dispatched. That's enough force to subjugate every faction in Namchang."
"And the corps leader himself, Iron Bear Swordsman Cheol Unghwan, is coming personally. No one can stand against him. He's one of our cult's top powerhouses."
"I wonder if we really need to commit this much force to something like this. We could handle the cleanup ourselves."
As one man grumbled in dissatisfaction, another picked up the conversation.
"The Twelve Branch Lord sent the Celestial Ironblood Corps because he's wary of Hyuncheon Sect's involvement. We've blocked information as best we could so they haven't caught on yet, but once we decide to wipe out Hoyeon Manor, Hyuncheon Sect will surely stick their nose into something happening right in their backyard."
"So he sent the Celestial Ironblood Corps to wrap things up and fortify our defenses in case Hyuncheon Sect notices."
"That's how seriously he's taking Blockade Defense. He sent them because this matter keeps dragging on. It's a wake-up call for us, his inner circle."
"Have we been slacking? Do you think buttering up the Namchang constables and Payang County officials happens overnight? The more hasty we get, the more they'll grab our ankles."
"True enough. They've been sending inspection censors nonstop, giving us headaches."
"Let's stay sharp. If we pull this off cleanly, the Twelve Branch Lord could rise to the level of the Seven Great Branch Lords. Give it everything we've got."
"Heard about the Fourteenth Branch Lord? He botched the operation in Hefei, came back to get chewed out by the other lords, and went into seclusion. Word is he might get demoted all the way to Sixteenth or Seventeenth Branch Lord."
"Losing his inner circle like that, the Fourteenth won't wield much power for a while."
"Which is why we need to push forward for the Twelve Branch Lord now. This isn't pocket change. Controlling it means dominating the Demonic Cult's finances."
"Exactly."
"All right. With the Celestial Ironblood Corps here, let's end this tonight. The moment Iron Bear Swordsman Cheol Unghwan arrives, we strike. They're due in two hours—perfect timing."
"The hour of the tiger is prime time for killing. And today, we secure ownership of that mountain for sure."
"We've been too soft on them so far. We'll take the manor lord and his retainers hostage and force out the land deed."
"Agreed. Let's prepare."
As the black-clad men sprang into action, torches flared up like wildfire throughout the manor.
The more I heard from Hoyeon Byok, the clearer it became what the Demonic Cult was up to in Payang County.
"Our manor's ancestral mountain was said to hold mystical energies, so herbalists gathered herbs there aplenty. Then one day, someone suddenly started controlling access to it."
"Were those Demonic Cultists?"
Myeong Woojong asked.
"We didn't know at the time. They were just black-clad warriors, impossible to identify. In any case, the manor lord didn't pay it much mind."
Hoyeok Byok continued.
"It's an ancestral mountain, after all—too far for the manor to control directly. One of our own was among Payang County's officials, so we tasked him with investigating. Then one day, they all came back as corpses. That's when the manor lord realized something was wrong. He sent people to Payang County, but they vanished one after another."
Myeong Woojong stroked his prickly beard.
"That's when you contacted your brother in the Audit Office."
"Yes. We couldn't control the county magistrate or officials ourselves, so we informed Brother. He came personally as an inspection censor."
I asked,
"When did the Demonic Cultists start raiding the manor?"
"A month ago. Black-masked figures began attacking after Brother went missing."
"What did they want?"
"Ownership of the ancestral mountain."
"If they've taken the county magistrate, couldn't they just forge the ownership?"
"Not this. Our ancestral mountain isn't ordinary—it's a gift directly from the royal house. Long ago, the Jiangxi Prince's Household was in peril, and the manor mobilized its full forces to aid them. Even the government couldn't tamper with it lightly. Messing with the Jiangxi Prince's Household would ruin everything."
Myeong Woojong asked quietly,
"Just what is the Demonic Cult after with Hoyeon Manor's ancestral mountain?"
"We first thought it was the herbs, but no way the Demonic Cult would covet mere herbs like that. So I investigated on my own."
"And?"
"Recently, we confirmed all sorts of equipment heading into the mountain."
"What kind?"
"Mining tools. Pickaxes, stone-breaking hammers, tunnel-building gear."
"Mining?"
Myeong Woojong and I exchanged surprised glances at the unexpected word.
"No way!"
Then a word struck my mind like a sneeze bursting out.
"It's a gold mine!"
Hoyeok Byok nodded.
"I've never seen it myself, but that's what I suspect. And the villagers vanishing without a trace from Payang County? Probably forcing them into labor as miners."
Myeong Woojong nodded slowly.
"High chance it's a gold mine. Explains why the Demonic Cult wants ownership too. Even if Hyuncheon Sect or others tell them to leave, they can claim ownership and fend them off."
"A royal-granted deed—even the unorthodox overlords can't touch it lightly. So they've raided Hoyeon Manor to pressure you. If they demand the deed now, you'd have no choice but to hand it over to avoid annihilation."
I spoke up.
"Sounds like a major raid is coming soon."
Myeong Woojong followed.
"Maybe even tonight? Seeing us arrive, they might rush to finish things before we settle in."
Hoyeok Byok shook his head.
"Unlikely. They attacked two days ago. They've come roughly every seven days, trying to wear us down. It'll be days before the next one."
"Half your retainers are dead already, right? They're probably ready to finish it off. Don't let your guard down."
Hoyeok Byok nodded at my words.
"Of course. That's why we've tightened security around the manor."
Once Myeong Woojong and I were alone, he voiced his concern.
"The Inspection Dragon Captain just escorted the young lady to Iljimun and won't arrive until tomorrow at earliest. I'm worried the Demonic Cult might strike tonight."
"Even without the captain, we have ten elites from the Hyuncheon Asura Unit, and I'm here. No need to worry overly."
"True. Without Scholar Cheon, I'd be uneasy. I need to visit the Namchang branch at dawn tomorrow and figure out what these bastards are planning."
I left Myeong Woojong's room and returned to my quarters.
Hoyeok Byok, ever the gracious host for a distant friend, had assigned me the finest guest house.
Thinking of his apologetic face—regretting he couldn't even share a drink with a far-traveled friend—filled me with anger.
It felt like even friends were falling victim to the jungle law of the martial world.
Seeing the family of my sworn brother on the brink of annihilation hit too close to home.
In preparation for any potential battle, I circulated energy through my secondary dantian, running a lesser and greater heavenly cycle.
To operate the internal energy of my secondary dantian, I employed my favorite technique: one that channels qi through all 361 acupoints.
Celestial Net Heart Technique.
True to its name meaning "heaven's net," the Celestial Net Heart Technique sent qi through all 361 meridians.
Yet I'd never seen another martial artist use it.
It took five double-hours—ten full hours—for a full greater heavenly cycle.
Once, for fun, I'd logged into the Murim Alliance's martial records and compared heart techniques across orthodox, unorthodox, demonic, and evil paths.
Differences in the number of meridians qi flowed through during operation.
I discovered something interesting.
Orthodox sect techniques channeled qi through 99 to 150 meridians.
Unorthodox and dark path arts fluctuated between 80 and 120.
Demonic path arts were extreme. Almost none exceeded 100, and plenty stayed under 50.
They ruthlessly minimized meridians for efficiency.
'That's why they say unorthodox and demonic arts learn fast but grow slowly with hard limits. Not just talk—I understood then.'
So I'd decided: if I ever cultivated, it'd be the Celestial Net Heart Technique, channeling all 361 meridians.
Until now, focusing on spirit energy cultivation, I hadn't run lesser or greater cycles with it.
'Amazing. Most martial artists complain cultivation is harder than expected. Why's it so easy for me?'
I knew my Heavenly Martial Sacred Body made it possible, but I was still amazed at how effortlessly I pulled it off.
'Wonder what it feels like for Yeoseol, born with the Heavenly Immortal Divine Meridian.'
I felt a responsibility to guide her well.
A once-in-millennia prodigy turning to evil would spell disaster for the martial world.
My thoughts drifted to Yeoseol, then back to my secondary dantian.
'Now my cultivation's just over twenty years worth.'
I completed one lesser cycle, then attempted a greater one for good measure.
Typically, martial artists take half a double-hour for lesser, one for greater.
Thanks to my wide, sturdy meridians, even with Celestial Net—double the meridians of others—lesser took a quarter-hour, greater about the time for a meal.
Sending qi through twice as many meridians, yet with three to four times the efficiency.
Definitely different from spirit energy circulation. Internal energy circulation left my body relaxed and languid.
'Can't neglect internal energy cultivation. The heaviness fades fast. No wonder martial artists cultivate whenever they can.'
As I circulated internal energy, a sudden idea struck.
'Can I cultivate internal and spirit energy simultaneously? Why not? Not with Celestial Net, but with the Ancient Jade Radiant Heart Technique, I could probably run both at once.'
Considering the variables, no major issues seemed apparent.
I immediately tried circulating internal energy while simultaneously operating spirit energy.