Chapter 151: Chaohu Lake (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 151: Chaohu Lake (2)
Blue lightning flashed in Namgung Jun’s wide, glaring eyes.
His rapidly enhanced vision clearly captured the figure far off on the surface of Chaohu Lake.
An old man?
An old man was floating atop the undulating waves.
He wasn't in a boat, however.
The old man was sitting on a massive lotus leaf with a Go board set before him.
An old man, sitting on a lotus leaf in the middle of Chaohu Lake, playing Go all by himself.
"What in the world..."
As if hearing Namgung Jun's quiet murmur, the old man, who had been looking down at the Go board, turned his gaze directly toward him.
—Would you care to come over?
A gentle Voice Transmission instantly pierced his ears.
Although he did not know the old man's identity, Namgung Jun set off without hesitation. He felt no malice, and his curiosity about the man was piqued.
Namgung Jun dashed straight toward Chaohu Lake. There was no need for a boat; it had been a long time since he had achieved mastery in the Water-Treading Art.
Swoosh!
Every time his leather boots lightly tapped the water's surface, ripples spread outward, distorting the reflection of the sky. As he gradually increased the speed of his Lightness Skill, a fierce spray of water rose in his wake.
Fishermen casting nets from their boats and dandies enjoying the company of wine and women were startled by the sight.
"Heavens! A man is running on water!"
"Is he an immortal?"
"Immortal, my foot. He's clearly a master who has trained in martial arts."
"He looks like a Rising Star from a prestigious clan... but he seems far too young to have reached such a realm."
Although Namgung Jun's Lightness Skill was impressive, Chaohu Lake was vast, and it took some time to reach the old man.
"Take your time. You are making the water ripple too much."
As the old man's figure became clearly visible even without channeling internal energy, a leisurely voice rang out.
Namgung Jun adjusted his speed, but it was impossible to completely suppress the waves stirred up by the Qi Wave of his Lightness Skill.
Only that spot is perfectly still. As if not a single breath of wind is blowing.
Namgung Jun stared at the lotus leaf the old man was sitting on. While the surrounding water rippled visibly, the massive leaf supporting the old man and the Go board remained perfectly tranquil.
Splash!
Leaping high, Namgung Jun traced an arc through the air and descended in front of the lotus leaf. The spray from his landing wet the hem of his pants.
Even then, the giant lotus leaf did not budge an inch, maintaining its position perfectly.
"Have a seat."
Setting down the Go stone he was holding, the old man gestured to the empty space.
Namgung Jun looked at the massive lotus leaf. There was plenty of room for another person, but the size of the leaf was not the issue. The moment an ordinary martial artist’s backside touched it, they would plunge straight into the water. Aside from being exceptionally large, it was just an ordinary lotus leaf; there was no way it could naturally support a human's weight.
There are several levels to the Water-Treading Art.
Being able to stand still on the water's surface with both feet meant one had initiated into the art. Being able to walk or run on water meant one had reached a standard level of mastery. Beyond that, if one could lie down or sit on the water, it was safe to say they had reached the absolute pinnacle.
While many can cross Chaohu Lake, there are very few supreme experts who can sit like this old man.
But Namgung Jun was not incapable of such a feat. Although his Lightness Movement Art was lacking compared to his sword techniques, by the standards of the ordinary Jianghu, his mastery was by no means shallow.
Namgung Jun sat down on the lotus leaf with effortless composure. The leaf sank slightly lower than where the old man sat, but it did not dip too far.
"I am Namgung Jun, the Azure Firmament Hall Master. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"You've come a long way."
"May this humble junior ask for your venerable title, senior?"
"I have no such thing. I am merely a wandering physician."
Namgung Jun studied the old man before him. He had sensed it faintly from afar, but facing him this closely made it absolutely clear. The man was undoubtedly a peerless expert. Yet, he had never heard of a peerless expert in the current Jianghu who claimed to be a physician.
Is he a hidden eccentric who doesn't show himself to the Jianghu?
Without pressing for an answer, Namgung Jun calmly examined the Go board.
Observing the young swordsman with lowered eyelids, the old man toyed with a black Go stone in his hand.
"The Lower Filthy Heaven Lord."
At the sudden words, Namgung Jun slowly raised his head.
The old man placed the black stone onto the board.
"That is what others call me."
"Please forgive my lack of discernment for not recognizing you sooner."
"There’s no need for that. Even within the Lower Filthy Heaven, only a select few know this old man's face."
Namgung Jun locked eyes with the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord for a moment, then asked, "It seems today's meeting is no coincidence."
"The Azure Heaven Association and the Lower Filthy Heaven have held hands for a long time. I merely wished to see what the future of the Azure Heaven Association looks like. You are likely the strongest candidate to be the next Association Leader."
Namgung Jun drew a firm line. "You are thinking too far ahead."
"Perhaps. It is merely this old man's opinion."
As the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord observed Namgung Jun, his gaze shifted slightly. He had not missed the minutely disrupted Qi Wave and posture.
"You have sustained a rather deep wound on your shoulder."
"Yes. It is a wound inflicted by the Great-Dusk Spear Paragon."
"Would you show me?"
Namgung Jun unbuttoned his martial uniform, revealing his bandaged shoulder. As the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord's gaze fell upon it, the blood-stained bandage slowly unraveled and slid down as if on its own.
He untied the knot of the bandage using Telekinetic Retrieval.
While Namgung Jun inwardly marveled at the extremely meticulous and precise control of internal energy, the wound on his shoulder was exposed. Because it had not yet healed, even the gentle brush of the wind from Chaohu Lake made the injured area throb with pain.
"It is quite deep. The Great-Dusk Spear Paragon's martial arts were a cut above what the rumors suggested."
It appeared the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord had already received information about his clash with the Great-Dusk Spear Paragon in Shandong Province. In a way, it was only natural, given that the Lower Filthy Heaven possessed one of the finest intelligence networks in the world.
"Do not be alarmed."
Assessing the severity of the injury, the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord gently placed his hand over the wound.
Hummm!
A profound energy rose from the Lord's palm and seeped into the wounded area. A massive amount of internal energy was injected in an instant. The way it penetrated deep into his meridians and spread in a split second resembled an Internal Heavy Hand Technique.
Yet, Namgung Jun did not react. There was not a shred of hostility or killing intent in the action. Instead, he completely surrendered his body to the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord's internal energy.
Hmm?
Namgung Jun could no longer feel any pain from his shoulder. He only felt an intermittent tickling and a warm sensation. Although he could not see the wound directly, he could tell what was happening.
The wound is healing?
First, the Great-Dusk Spear Paragon's Qi Wave, which had dug deep into his flesh and hindered recovery, completely dissipated. Then, the wide gash gradually began to close.
By the time a cup of tea's duration had passed, the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord withdrew his hand. Namgung Jun's wound was completely healed, with only a faint scar remaining.
"This is...?"
"I told you. This old man is a physician."
"But I have never seen such a medical art before."
While it was common for masters to inject internal energy into others to aid in healing internal injuries or to preserve the life of someone on the brink of death, he had never heard of using internal energy to heal external wounds.
Watching Namgung Jun's slightly twitching eyebrows, the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord burst into a hearty laugh.
"Of course you haven't. It is a martial art I created myself."
"A martial art?"
"You could call it a medical martial art."
"It is a name I have never heard. May I hear more about it?"
As Namgung Jun showed interest, the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord's voice grew slightly animated.
"This old man is only a half-baked peerless expert. Though I achieved the Five Qis Converging at the Origin with the immense backing of the Lower Filthy Heaven, I never deeply trained in the arts of fighting or killing. I might even lose to a supreme expert who has barely reached the threshold of the Three Flowers Gather at the Crown."
Contrary to his words, a deep pride resonated in the old man's voice.
"Throughout my entire life, I have delved into only one thing: the creation of this medical martial art."
"That is fascinating."
"My master was a physician who practiced martial arts. He often took in people from the Jianghu as patients, and aren't the swordsmen of the Jianghu notoriously fickle creatures? He felt the need to train in martial arts for self-defense."
Namgung Jun nodded with a bitter expression.
"Thanks to him, I also trained in both martial arts and medicine. Then, a thought suddenly occurred to me: Must martial arts only be used to kill? Can we not combine martial arts and medicine?"
The inspiration that struck him in his youth became his lifelong pursuit.
"And is that how this medical martial art was born?"
"Indeed. A medical martial art that transcends the limits of conventional medicine. Of course, I have not yet reached a fully satisfactory realm, but it is enough to reattach a severed arm. That is something impossible with acupuncture and herbal decoctions alone."
Namgung Jun was temporarily lost for words. The fact that it could reattach severed limbs alone gave him a glimpse of the immense value of this medical martial art.
"Of course, there are limits. There is nothing I can do for wounds that have aged too long. Setting aside the Azure Heaven Association Leader's arm, I tried to do something about his eye, but I failed."
Shaking his head with a bitter expression, the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord looked back at Namgung Jun.
"We have strayed from the topic. At any rate, whenever I hear news of a Fourth Cloud or Fifth Cloud who has sustained severe injuries during a mission and is on the brink of death, I tend to visit them personally. Your injury was not that severe, but I wanted to see your face in person."
"Does this medical martial art work on internal injuries as well as external wounds?"
"Of course. If not for my medical martial art, the Heaven-Reliant Sword Lord, who clashed with the Demonic Cult Leader, would have died or lost his martial arts long ago. I struggled quite a bit back then. It was a truly dreadful internal injury."
Frowning and shaking his head, the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord looked at Namgung Jun.
"I have also heard about your Nine Yin Severed Meridian. However, I could not step forward at that time. After saving the Kunlun Sect Master and then the Heaven-Reliant Sword Lord, I had overexerted myself consecutively, making it difficult to even look after my own body."
"How could I possibly blame you, senior?"
"But looking at you now, it seems you are overcoming the Nine Yin Severed Meridian in your own way. Do you not need this old man's help?"
"If you spare your strength, senior, you will be able to save another life in the future. My situation is not urgent right now, so I will overcome it on my own."
"What a truly noble and admirable mindset."
Letting out a chuckle, the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord nodded.
"Since that is your choice, I wish to give you another gift."
"What might that be?"
The Lower Filthy Heaven Lord slowly stood up. Even as he rose, the lotus leaf did not wobble in the slightest.
"According to the Lower Filthy Heaven's intelligence, your only flaw is your Lightness Movement Art—specifically, your Lightness Skill. I heard that while you created most of your martial arts yourself, you use a Lightness Skill from the Self-Reflection Martial Repository."
"That is correct."
"I do not mean to look down on the martial arts stored in the Self-Reflection Martial Repository. However, I figured your satisfaction with that Lightness Skill would be lower compared to the martial arts you created yourself. Am I correct?"
"Indeed."
"Would you mind if I offered some assistance?"
Namgung Jun readily nodded.
"I would be grateful for your help."
"Excellent."