Chapter 144: Decoction (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 144: Decoction (1)
The office of the Azure Firmament Hall.
Seven days and nights had passed since they had burned down the Jiangxi Branch of the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult and returned to the main fortress.
While the members of the Azure Firmament Hall were busy training in the Azure Firmament Martial Canon, Namgung Jun’s brush flew across the page, clearing a backlog of paperwork. Now that he was responsible for an entire martial faction, there were countless matters to attend to beyond simply training and managing its members.
Of course, having run the Namcheon Palace as its Palace Master in his past life, paperwork of this level was child’s play. In fact, Kang Mong, who had come to help Namgung Jun adjust to what he assumed was his first time handling a Hall Master’s duties, had simply shaken his head in sheer amazement before leaving.
“She’s here.”
Namgung Jun, who had been working with an expressionless face, allowed a faint smile to touch his lips as he set down his brush. He then took out a tea set he had prepared in advance and began to brew tea.
With clean, refined movements, Namgung Jun skillfully brewed the tea and filled two cups. Just as he finished, a presence appeared outside the door.
“Jun, may I come in?”
“Please, come in.”
The door opened, and a smile as bright as sunlight spilled into the room. Lee Se-ha’s expression lit up the moment she saw Namgung Jun, and she waved her hand.
“It’s so hard to see you now that we’re in different halls.”
“I visited the Heavenly Sword Hall right after I returned, but you were out on a mission. Have you just now gotten back?”
“Of course. I missed you so much, Jun. I came straight here.”
Instead of sitting down, Lee Se-ha slowly looked around the office. With her hands lightly clasped behind her back, her eyes sparkled as she took in the room, her head tilting this way and that as if she were looking at a novel attraction.
“You’ve kept it so neat and tidy. It perfectly reflects your personality, Jun.”
There was nothing particularly special to show, nor anything to hide. Yet, as Lee Se-ha peered into every nook and cranny, Namgung Jun felt as though his innermost thoughts were being laid bare.
“The tea will get cold, Master.”
Only after Namgung Jun’s quiet reminder did Lee Se-ha smile warmly and take a seat.
“But it’s so bare. There’s nothing here.”
At her words, Namgung Jun also scanned the office. A desk for work, a tea table for guests, and a single bookshelf for texts. That was all. Since the office was quite spacious, the empty areas felt even more desolate.
“How about hanging a painting or something?”
“I don’t know. I have no interest in such things.”
“What about a portrait that perfectly captures your master’s beautiful face?”
Shrugging, Lee Se-ha leaned her face slightly forward. Sunlight filtering through the window lattice fell across the bridge of her sharp nose. Bathed in the natural light, her features shone in perfect harmony.
“If it were a portrait of you, Master, the office would indeed become much brighter.”
“Hehe. I’ll have to gift you one sometime.”
As she sipped the tea Namgung Jun had brewed, Lee Se-ha’s lips parted slightly as if she had just remembered something.
“Oh, right. Everyone is talking about the Azure Firmament Hall. On my way back, I kept hearing stories about you and the hall every time I stopped at an inn.”
“Is that so? The rumors seem to be spreading quickly.”
“Listening closely, I could tell there were quite a few wild rumors mixed in since the name only recently became known, but the Azure Firmament Hall has definitely made its mark.”
Setting down his teacup, Namgung Jun nodded. Striking the hidden cave of the Long-Stream Cult and the Jiangxi Branch was the Azure Firmament Hall’s first major move. He hadn’t expected a single mission to spread their name so far and wide across the Jianghu, yet he and the Azure Firmament Hall had done just that.
Perhaps because several major incidents had occurred in succession in Jiangxi Province, the rumors were spreading like wildfire throughout the entire Jianghu. Even Yun Gyeong-jong, upon receiving the mission report, had been certain of its resounding success.
Since the beginning was a success, what mattered now was steadily raising their martial prowess and continuing to carve a deep, indelible footprint for the Azure Firmament Hall in the Jianghu.
“I was shocked when I heard you planted the flag of the Azure Firmament Hall right in the middle of the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult’s Jiangxi Branch.”
“We must do at least that much to call ourselves the absolute elite of the Azure Heaven Association.”
“You know, Jun, sometimes you just drive forward relentlessly without looking back.” The corners of Lee Se-ha’s mouth, which had been curved in a pleased smile, dipped slightly. “Drawing the eyes of the entire Jianghu so quickly… it can be dangerous. You know that, right?”
“Of course. It’s something we must be prepared for.”
Lee Se-ha’s slightly lowered gaze drifted toward Namgung Jun’s side. She seemed to have noticed he was injured.
“I know you can take care of yourself, Jun. But as your master, I can’t help but worry.”
Namgung Jun shook his head once and offered a gentle smile. “Don’t I have the garment you personally gave me? Don’t worry. The Protective Astral Qi imbued by your touch was a great help this time as well.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
When her disciple mentioned the Cloud Mantle Embracing Sorrowful Thunder, the master’s expression, which had briefly stiffened, softened completely.
“How is the atmosphere in the Heavenly Sword Hall? Did you not lose a significant portion of your strength because of the Azure Firmament Hall?”
“We are focusing on training the recruits from the last selection. While the loss of manpower was painful, it isn’t severe. The Heavenly Sword Hall is strong, after all.” Lee Se-ha looked through the office window at the members of the Azure Firmament Hall training on the grounds below. “I caught a glimpse of them on my way in. Even those fellows have grown visibly stronger. It’s truly amazing. Is it because you’re teaching them personally, Jun?”
Namgung Jun replied firmly, “They have yet to reach the standard I desire.”
“The rascals of the Azure Firmament Hall are in for a rough time, then.” Staring intently at Namgung Jun, Lee Se-ha lightly flicked the hilt of the sword at her waist. “Shall we cross swords tonight for the first time in a while? My progress in the Vast Sky Boundless Sword Technique has improved significantly.”
“Very well. I shall see it for myself.”
“For now, let’s finish catching up.”
The conversation between master and disciple continued until the sun dipped below the horizon.
* * *
Upon receiving news that the decoction compounding the Heavenly Yang White Snake and the herbs from the Jiangxi Branch was complete, Namgung Jun headed to the Azure Medicine Pavilion. Of course, before receiving it, he first had to have his pulse read by the Azure Medicine Pavilion Master.
“Truly, I am amazed every time I take your pulse.” Releasing Namgung Jun’s wrist, the Azure Medicine Pavilion Master tilted his head, a sound of admiration escaping him.
Born with the Nine Yin Severed Meridian, Namgung Jun’s body was in an extremely precarious state. While the degree varied, the risk of his Yin and Yang balance collapsing was ever-present. Yet, his once highly unstable body was now remarkably calm. It was still difficult to classify him as normal, but compared to before, the presence of the Yin Cold Qi had diminished significantly.
“The Wudang Sect's Taiji Taoyuan Technique. I have heard it is a peerless divine art, comparable to Shaolin's Tendon-Changing and Marrow-Cleansing, but to think it could suppress even the Nine Yin Severed Meridian like this.”
“I haven’t suffered a single seizure since learning the Taiji Taoyuan Technique. Whenever I felt the signs of one approaching, practicing the technique would naturally calm the Yin Cold Qi.”
“But completely overcoming the Nine Yin Severed Meridian is another matter entirely, is it not?”
Namgung Jun nodded calmly. It was true that the Taiji Taoyuan Technique was of immense help in suppressing and enduring his condition. However, completely overcoming the Nine Yin Severed Meridian with the Taiji Taoyuan Technique alone seemed impossible. This was precisely why he couldn’t afford to grow complacent; he had to endlessly practice his heart method, increase his internal energy, and dedicate himself to opening his meridians.
“You have turned eighteen this year. The Yin Cold Qi of the Nine Yin Severed Meridian will begin to grow exponentially. You must not let your guard down just because you acquired the Taiji Taoyuan Technique.”
“Indeed. These days, I can feel the Yin Cold Qi growing stronger by the day. Had it not been for the Taiji Taoyuan Technique, I would have suffered greatly.”
“In that sense, the spirit elixir you brought back this time will be of great help.”
As the Azure Medicine Pavilion Master waved his hand, a physician waiting nearby brought over a bowl of the prepared decoction.
Looking at the slightly reddish liquid, Namgung Jun asked, “This is the first time I have heard of a spiritual beast called the Heavenly Yang White Snake. Roughly how potent is it?”
“It falls slightly short of the Solar Fire Internal Core from the Solar Fire Carp you first consumed. Still, it easily ranks among the top ten extreme Yang spiritual beasts in the Jianghu.” The Azure Medicine Pavilion Master lifted the bowl, inhaled its aroma, and handed it to Namgung Jun. “Furthermore, we created a new prescription by combining the herbs you brought back with the Heavenly Yang White Snake, along with the extreme Yang spirit elixirs stockpiled here at the Azure Medicine Pavilion. That is why brewing this took quite some time.”
“I had no idea. Thank you for your hard work.”
“The base ingredients are excellent, and the Azure Medicine Pavilion poured its utmost effort into this. I am confident its effects will be remarkable.”
Bowing his head in gratitude, Namgung Jun slowly drank the decoction. Thanks to the physician’s consideration, it had been cooled just enough to make it easy to drink.
While that made it easy to swallow, the moment the liquid passed down his throat, a heat blossomed in his chest, quickly reaching a boiling point. Feeling the searing heat flood his entire body, Namgung Jun calmly sat cross-legged and began his Qi Circulation.
‘The energy contained within this decoction is immense.’
The Azure Medicine Pavilion Master’s words had been an understatement. How many spirit elixirs in the Jianghu could possibly contain this much scorching Yang Qi? It seemed the pavilion had pushed the medicinal efficacy of the Heavenly Yang White Snake to its absolute limit by compounding it with other herbs and elixirs. Without their help, it would have been impossible to brew a decoction of this potency, even with the exact same ingredients.
‘I must fully absorb this energy to show proper respect for the efforts of the pavilion’s physicians.’
Namgung Jun focused his mind, circulating the internal energy of the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Formula.
Hummm!
The medicinal energy slowly moved along the circulation pathway of the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Formula. As it passed through his major acupoints and filled his blood vessels, the medicinal energy was naturally absorbed into the Thunder Qi.
The Qi Circulation proceeded smoothly. After the internal energy of the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Formula had completed twelve full cycles, he had completely refined and absorbed the decoction’s power. He could clearly feel that the Thunder Qi filling his major acupoints had grown significantly stronger.
‘I have finally achieved grand completion.’
For a long time, his Heavenly Thunder True Yang Formula had been stuck at the ninth stage. His comprehension of the heart method was sufficient, but he had lacked the internal energy required to break through the final wall. Of course, he had steadily accumulated internal energy by practicing, but it hadn’t been enough to overcome the barrier to grand completion.
This was one of the reasons why heart methods based on scorching Yang Qi were so rare in the Jianghu. To advance in such a method, one needed not only fundamental comprehension but also a constant supply of extreme Yang spirit elixirs to replenish their internal energy. There was a limit to the Yang Qi one could accumulate through the heart method alone.
“Fuuu.”
Having finished his Qi Circulation, Namgung Jun opened his eyes. The moment he did, he could vividly feel the abundant Thunder Qi filling his entire body. Though he had merely crossed a single barrier from the ninth stage to grand completion, the Thunder Qi of his Heavenly Thunder True Yang Formula felt twice as powerful as before.
“My boy, are you alright?”
“Yes. I have achieved grand completion in the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Formula. It is all thanks to the decoction.”
“Oh, finally!” The Azure Medicine Pavilion Master’s half-closed eyes flew wide open in sheer delight. This meant Namgung Jun had completed one of the essential prerequisites for overcoming the Nine Yin Severed Meridian.
“Hmm.”
Namgung Jun gauged the internal energy in his dantian, then assumed a posture as if he had made up his mind. It was the opening movement of the Taiji Taoyuan Technique.
Sensing that something unusual was happening, the Azure Medicine Pavilion Master asked in alarm, “Did something go wrong?”
“No. I merely intend to attempt to open my meridians.”
“What?”
Before the Azure Medicine Pavilion Master could stop him, Namgung Jun’s hands and feet began to slowly trace a circle.
‘The Taiji Taoyuan Technique played a major role in suppressing the seizures of the Nine Yin Severed Meridian by balancing Yin and Yang. If so, what if I attempt to open my meridians with the Taiji Taoyuan Technique as the core?’
It was a theory he had only ever considered, never dared to attempt. But now that his Heavenly Thunder True Yang Formula had reached grand completion, it was a challenge well worth taking.
As Namgung Jun slowly moved, a wave of energy—a fusion of heat and cold—began to seep from his body.
It was the unfolding of the Taiji Taoyuan Technique.