The Unintended Consequence of Perfection
“Oh, dear!” The Pacheon Sword Sovereign set aside his satisfied expression and rose from his chair. He rummaged through the inside of his sleeve and produced two jade bottles. “The path of the Body Cultivator begins with tempering the bones, muscles, and blood.” He placed the two bottles neatly on the table. “These are top-grade Bone-Tempering Pills and Blood-Vigor Pills. They are the most fundamental pills one must consume when entering the path of body cultivation. You must take them simultaneously to harmonize your bones and blood.”
Baek Cheong stared at the bottles on the table. ‘Bone-Tempering Pills and Blood-Vigor Pills.’ The former strengthened bones and muscles, while the latter invigorated the blood. They were the absolute basics for any novice body cultivator. ‘I know the recipes for these, too.’ She had heard the recipes in passing during Yakseon’s teachings. She hadn’t delved into them since they were body-cultivation pills, but they were merely first-tier intermediate-grade, and the ingredients were easy to find.
‘Wouldn’t they be much better if I made them with talisman-inscriptions?’ The thought occurred to her naturally at the mention of them being “top-grade.” If she inscribed them using the Five Elements Taiji Alchemy Method, the so-called top-grade pills wouldn’t even be worth comparing. But she couldn’t reveal that. ‘He wouldn’t be able to see through something like that, would he?’ The Five Elements Taiji Alchemy Method was a heaven-defying technique for creating inscribed pills. The moment it was revealed that she, a mere Qi Refining stage cultivator, could freely use such a method, a chaotic situation she couldn’t handle would surely ensue. So, she kept her secret, bowed her head, and expressed her gratitude. “Thank you.”
The Pacheon Sword Sovereign nodded and continued. “Since these are pills for entering the path of body cultivation, they aren’t particularly dangerous, but your body’s reaction may be intense.”
‘Intense?’ Baek Cheong tilted her head slightly to look up at him. The Pacheon Sword Sovereign added, his expression as dry as ever, “When your bones are reshaped and your blood channels opened, impurities will pour out of your body. It will be a sight difficult to look upon, so it would be best to consume them alone and in private.”
‘Ah.’ To summarize, he meant she shouldn’t let others see her in such a filthy state. “I will return to my quarters to consume them.”
“Do so.”
Back in her quarters, Baek Cheong closed the door and set the two jade bottles on the table. When she opened the lids to peek inside, the Bone-Tempering Pill was a pale green, and the Blood-Vigor Pill had a reddish hue. ‘They are the best of the top-grade, I suppose.’ The surfaces of the pills were glossy, and the medicinal scent was clear. To anyone else, they were perfectly crafted, top-tier items. But to Baek Cheong’s eyes, they were different. ‘With this level of medicinal penetration, the efficiency is only thirty percent.’ To eyes accustomed to the Five Elements Taiji Alchemy Method, even the “top-grade” pills had obvious limits. The energy of the herbs wasn’t fully contained; more than half had scattered into the air as they hardened. Compared to pills inscribed with talismanic scripts, it was the difference between heaven and earth. ‘And I can’t ignore the trace amounts of pill toxin, either.’
Still, she couldn’t refuse what the Pacheon Sword Sovereign had given her. After a moment of contemplation, Baek Cheong shoved the two bottles into her storage pouch. She then left her quarters and headed for her private alchemy room. ‘I know the recipes anyway.’ The ingredients for both pills were already stocked in the room. As she opened the door, the familiar scent of herbs and the lingering heat of the furnace welcomed her. Baek Cheong gathered and organized the ingredients without hesitation. ‘Bone-Tempering Pill first.’
She lit the furnace and drew up the energy of the five elements. As the fire attribute extracted the essence of the herbs, the wood attribute wrapped around it in layers, and the remaining energies circulated according to the movements of the Taiji. She trapped the life force of the herbs so that not a single shred could escape. Before long, a brilliant light rose from within the furnace. A clear talismanic script was etched onto the surface of the pale green pill. Soon after, she crafted the Blood-Vigor Pill in the same manner. A sophisticated script was engraved onto the red pill as well.
Baek Cheong placed the two finished pills on her palm. The luster was incomparable to the top-grade ones. The medicinal scent was so thick that the top-grade pills would have felt faint in comparison. ‘This is what a pill should be.’ Feeling satisfied, she placed the pills into jade bottles and returned to her quarters. She locked the door and sat cross-legged on her bed. She took a deep breath, then popped the Bone-Tempering Pill into her mouth. As soon as the pill touched her tongue, it melted.
‘Oh.’ As expected of an inscribed pill, the absorption was rapid. The feeling of medicinal energy spreading along her energy channels was remarkably smooth. Following the Pacheon Sword Sovereign’s advice, she immediately took the Blood-Vigor Pill as well. A moment later.
‘It’s… hot?’ Heat began to well up throughout her body. At first, it was just warm, but it quickly surpassed the point of being merely hot. It felt as if the blood in her veins was boiling. ‘Wait, why is it like this?’ Before she could even panic, the second pill’s effects surged in. It felt as if every bone in her body was being ground by a massive millstone; beneath her skin, the process of bones breaking and re-fusing was happening simultaneously all over. She gritted her teeth, unable to hide the trembling caused by the agony.
‘Don’t tell me, did he assume I’d be taking top-grade ones simultaneously…!’ If she had taken the top-grade ones, the pain would likely have been weaker. The inscribed pills maximized the efficiency of the medicinal energy, digging into every corner of her body without a shred of waste. High efficiency meant the shock her body had to endure was equally massive.
‘At this rate…’ Just as she was about to lose consciousness from the immense pain, the medicinal energy surged into her intestines while her whole body was already a ball of fire, and an unbearable pressure followed. Baek Cheong’s face turned deathly pale as she felt the signal. ‘No! This, I absolutely cannot!’ She could never allow this. Even at eleven years old, she had her pride. No matter how painful it was, this was a matter of human dignity. ‘I must endure it, no matter what.’ She clung to her consciousness and focused on controlling her lower abdomen. She mobilized every nerve, as if she were tempering her energy, to soothe her intestines. This was even more agonizing than the pain of her bones being ground.
. . .
She had no idea how time was passing. Whether an hour had passed, or two. Even as something that might have been sweat or blood poured from her body, Baek Cheong did not let go of her control over her lower abdomen. And then, at some point, the pain receded. A sense of relief washed over her entire body, and her hazy mind snapped awake.
‘Is it over?’ Baek Cheong opened her eyes. The first thing she checked was… ‘Thank goodness.’ The bed was a disaster covered in all sorts of waste, but the place she had been most worried about was safe. A deep sigh of relief escaped her. ‘I survived.’ The relief of this was greater than the pain of her bones. Only then did she have the leisure to look around. Her bed and her entire body were caked in waste. It was on a completely different level from the impurities usually expelled during cultivation. Dark red blood had dried and stained the sheets, and black, oily grime clung to her skin like scales.
“Ugh.” Baek Cheong’s nose wrinkled at the foul stench. Yet, strangely, her body felt incredibly light. A solid energy flowed through every joint, and the blood vessels throughout her body flowed as smoothly as a stream. It was a refreshing feeling on a level she had never experienced before. ‘First, I need to clean this up.’ As she stepped off the bed, she took a Purification Talisman from the storage pouch on the table. She channeled her spiritual energy to activate the talisman, and the waste and bloodstains were wiped away cleanly. She swept over the bed, the floor, and her own body, and the previous disaster vanished as if it were a lie.
“Good.” She changed her clothes and roughly brushed her hair. The face reflected in the mirror was much clearer than before. And her skin… ‘Huh?’ It was glowing with a transparency, as if a layer had been peeled away. It wasn’t quite a full Marrow-Cleansing and Hair-Shedding, but it was of a similar nature. It was as if she had broken through a major realm. ‘This is going to be a bit conspicuous.’ Worry crossed her mind, but it was already done. There was no way to undo what she had already consumed. She let out a sigh and left her quarters. She headed toward the Guest Pavilion where the Pacheon Sword Sovereign was staying. Arriving at the door, she carefully announced her presence. “Master.”
“Come in.” The Pacheon Sword Sovereign’s voice came from within. She pushed the door open and stepped inside. The Pacheon Sword Sovereign was sitting on a chair, drinking tea. He set his teacup down and turned his head to look at Baek Cheong. For a moment, he paused, his eyebrows twitching. “…Come here.” There was a tone in his voice that wasn’t there before. Baek Cheong approached him cautiously, feeling bewildered. The Pacheon Sword Sovereign stood up and scanned Baek Cheong from head to toe. Then, he reached out and lightly grabbed her wrist. She felt the sensation of energy seeping through her wrist. ‘Is he checking my pulse?’ She stood still, wondering at his unusual behavior. Conversely, the Pacheon Sword Sovereign’s eyes grew wider and wider. Cracks appeared in his usually dry, emotionless expression. It was clearly bewilderment.
“This is…” The Pacheon Sword Sovereign withdrew his hand and took a step back. He examined Baek Cheong from top to bottom once more. “What has happened?”
“Pardon?”
“Did you not simply consume the Bone-Tempering Pill and the Blood-Vigor Pill?”
“Ah, yes. That is correct…” Baek Cheong answered, stammering. The Pacheon Sword Sovereign’s reaction was far from ordinary. If his dry face was cracking, something must have gone wrong. ‘Did I make a mistake by making and eating the inscribed pills?’ Anxiety welled up deep in her small chest. The Pacheon Sword Sovereign stroked his beard and muttered, “Even if they were top-grade pills, for the bones and blood to be tempered this much at once… it is an impossible feat.”
‘Ah, as I thought.’ Baek Cheong barely swallowed the regret rising in her throat. Since the effect of the inscribed pills was on a different level from the top-grade ones, the results were bound to be different as well. The Pacheon Sword Sovereign sat back down and examined Baek Cheong with deep eyes. Soon, his voice emerged, a mixture of admiration and conviction. “You are undoubtedly of the Jade-Refining Body.”
“Pardon?” Baek Cheong was dazed by the word she was hearing for the first time.
“It is a physique where the body absorbs pills beneficial to body cultivation twofold, achieving in one go what others would need to consume ten times over.” Excitement that he couldn’t hide permeated the Pacheon Sword Sovereign’s voice. “To think you not only have exceptional talent but also the aptitude for body cultivation!”
‘That’s not it!’ Baek Cheong felt a sense of alarm at the uncontrollable misunderstanding. She absolutely did not have some Jade-Refining Body. It was just that the efficiency of the inscribed pills was on a different level from the top-grade ones. But to reveal the truth, she would have to reveal the existence of the Five Elements Taiji Alchemy Method. She couldn’t bring herself to speak. “With this, I have high expectations for you as a sword cultivator as well.”
The Pacheon Sword Sovereign was stroking his beard and nodding. A genuine, satisfied smile was etched onto his usually dry face. ‘I am truly, truly, truly doomed.’ At the repeated praise, Baek Cheong’s face turned pale. But the Pacheon Sword Sovereign was too intoxicated by his joy to notice. “Normally, you would need to consume the Bone-Tempering Pill and Blood-Vigor Pill several more times to build a foundation. But if your bones and blood have settled this well, there is no need to wait any longer.”
‘No need to wait?’ She instinctively understood what those words meant. The Pacheon Sword Sovereign nodded and reached his conclusion. “Let us begin your training from today.”
Baek Cheong’s world went dark at the desperate news. She had never imagined that the inscribed pills she had crafted would return to haunt her like this. ‘Oh, the pill toxin!!!’ She would have rather consumed the top-grade pills and suffered the pill toxin buildup. Even the Pacheon Sword Sovereign’s gleaming eyes were the same ones she had experienced from Yakseon. At this rate, she wasn’t just going to be a nominal disciple; she was going to be a transmission disciple. ‘Why don’t I have infinite regression!!!’ But it was water under the bridge, too late for regrets. Shedding tears of blood in her heart, she followed the Pacheon Sword Sovereign.