Chapter 152: Chaohu Lake (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 152: Chaohu Lake (3)
As the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord rose to his feet, Namgung Jun stood to face him.
The figures of the old man and the youth, standing opposite each other, rippled gently on the water’s surface.
“Let us take a light stroll first.”
The Lower Filthy Heaven Lord slowly took a step forward, walking naturally on the surface of Chaohu Lake. Namgung Jun followed suit, stepping onto the water as well.
The old man walked with his hands clasped behind his back, while Namgung Jun moved with his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. The casual movements of the two made it seem as though they were simply enjoying a peaceful walk.
Splish!
With every step Namgung Jun took, ripples spread across the water. The Lower Filthy Heaven Lord’s footsteps, however, caused not even the slightest disturbance. To the naked eye, the soles of his feet were clearly touching the lake, yet not a single ripple formed. It was a truly wondrous sight.
‘The senior’s mastery of the Lightness Skill is astonishing.’
Of course, other peerless experts were capable of this. However, Namgung Jun instinctively felt that the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord's command of the Lightness Skill surpassed even theirs.
Perhaps sensing Namgung Jun’s gaze on his footwork, the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord spoke slowly.
“I learned medical martial arts for others and the Lightness Skill for myself. In my life, there have been far too many times I’ve had to run away.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I treated an enemy’s wounds, to hide the fact that I was still alive, to take responsibility for something some swordsman did… Martial artists came looking for me and pointed their blades at me for all sorts of reasons.”
In other words, he had honed his medical arts to save others and his Lightness Skill to save himself.
The Lower Filthy Heaven Lord’s voice was like an ancient needle case—scratched by countless impacts, worn by time, and slowly cracking, yet stubbornly fulfilling its duty of holding its needles to the very end.
Unable to look at the old man’s expression, Namgung Jun turned his gaze toward the ripples of Chaohu Lake. Seeing the water sparkle so brightly and clearly in the sunlight, his heart grew heavy.
“So, my study of the Lightness Skill is by no means shallow, even when compared to other peerless experts.”
“It must be so. A martial art steeped in one’s life experiences is bound to be special.”
With his hands still clasped behind his back, the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord let out a short chuckle.
“I believe that even the same martial insight resonates differently depending on the person. Besides, you already have your own path. It would be useless for me to give you detailed instructions from start to finish.”
The Lower Filthy Heaven Lord, who had been stepping slowly as if on a stroll, was suddenly far in the distance. Had Namgung Jun not been paying close attention, he might have thought the old man had vanished and reappeared in an instant. His movements were just that gentle and profound.
“Watch my movements and take everything you can from them.”
“Understood.”
“Shall we take a look around Chaohu Lake first? It is a truly beautiful lake, is it not?”
The Lower Filthy Heaven Lord began to display his Lightness Skill in earnest. His limbs moved at a leisurely pace, yet his figure glided forward without hindrance. In an instant, he was reduced to a tiny, flickering speck in the distance.
Watching him, Namgung Jun thought to himself that if the old man’s internal energy manipulation was like his movements, then his acupuncture must be as well. The large needles guided by his calm hands would surely pierce a patient’s acupoints with absolute speed and precision.
“Hmm!”
Squinting, Namgung Jun unleashed his own Lightness Skill at full power to catch up, but he could not close the distance at all. The Lower Filthy Heaven Lord widened the gap, yet maintained a distance that allowed Namgung Jun to clearly observe his movements.
It was both a consideration and a piece of advice: there was no need to rush. Not just now, but in any situation he might face in the future.
Namgung Jun immediately grasped the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord’s intention. Calming his breath, which had grown slightly ragged, he observed the old man’s back with a broader perspective.
‘Unleashing powerful force isn’t everything.’
Judging by his movements and the Qi Waves he emitted, the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord was actually executing his Lightness Skill with far less internal energy than Namgung Jun. There was an insurmountable gulf in how they moved their bodies.
Namgung Jun watched the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord closely—the back of the old physician as he freely traversed Chaohu Lake.
But that was not all.
To close the distance, he also had to reflect on his own study of the Lightness Skill. He recalled how he had neglected it in his past life, the various movement arts he had encountered in the Self-Reflection Martial Repository, and the teachings he had received from Man Hun, the Head of the Elders' Council.
“Are you chasing me right now?”
Despite the distance, the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord's voice rang clearly in his ears, as if he were speaking right beside him.
“Don’t do that. What is the point of chasing a humble old physician?”
“Then what should I chase?”
“I would say ‘the world,’ but your footwork isn’t quite there yet. Start with this vast lake. Start with Chaohu Lake.”
Namgung Jun naturally broadened his vision from the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord to the scenery of Chaohu Lake itself. Just doing so made his chest feel incredibly light and open. At the same time, he became acutely aware of his own existence as he dashed across the water. He had thought he was moving incredibly fast, but compared to the vastness of the lake, he was utterly insignificant.
“They say the circumference of Chaohu Lake is roughly a thousand li. Tell me, does this beautiful lake feel wide and distant to you?” the old physician quietly asked.
Namgung Jun did not answer immediately. Instead, he slowly closed his eyes. He heightened his senses to their absolute limit, focusing entirely on himself as he ran across Chaohu Lake.
‘Running on Chaohu Lake? Crossing Chaohu Lake?’
Even when executing the same martial art, its power and depth change depending on the intent held in one’s heart. That was how important intent was. Of course, practical insight and martial principles were also crucial, but it was intent that served as the central axis binding them all together.
Depending on one’s intent, everything would change. Even when holding a sword, he always imbued it with the conviction that he could cut through anything, standing upright and unwavering no matter the situation.
Thus, Namgung Jun pondered the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord's question even more deeply.
Thrum!
Namgung Jun felt himself standing at the very center of Chaohu Lake. He felt his extending feet and his constantly shifting center of gravity. He felt the rippling surface and the endlessly sloshing water.
He sought to transcend himself and become one with Chaohu Lake.
At that moment, the abilities he had gained upon achieving the Three Flowers Gather at the Crown surged to their absolute limit. The profound sensation of the Butterfly Metamorphosis of Mystic Time washed over him, stretching a fleeting moment—the flutter of a butterfly’s wings—into an eternity. He felt the Heart Spirit Qi Transformation, where his will instantly became qi, his internal energy reacting the very moment a thought arose.
In what felt like a single step, an eternity passed. Countless thoughts flashed through his mind as the flow of internal energy, triggered by branches of his will that multiplied like seafoam, coursed through his body dozens, even hundreds of times.
‘There is no need to run fast, nor is there a need to leap high.’
A single mindset was enough. The intent that he could reach any corner of Chaohu Lake with this single step.
Chaohu Lake, said to span a thousand li, no longer felt wide or distant.
A single step would suffice.
His clear, shining blue eyes took in the entirety of the lake.
‘This vast Chaohu Lake feels as though it lies within the span of a single step.’
Swoosh!
The violent spray of water that had erupted with every one of Namgung Jun’s steps gradually subsided. Even as his Lightness Skill grew swifter, the ripples on Chaohu Lake only grew calmer. Of course, he had not yet reached the realm of the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord, where his steps left no trace at all.
But it was a clear change from before.
The distance between the old man and the youth gradually closed. It was not that the old man had slowed down; the youth had clearly advanced.
Before long, the old physician and the young swordsman were gliding side by side over the blue waters.
“It seems you have decided how you will face Chaohu Lake.”
“Did you say the circumference is roughly a thousand li?”
“That is correct.”
Namgung Jun offered a bright smile that mirrored the clear waters of the lake.
“Whether it is a thousand li or ten thousand li, it does not matter. A single, steady step is all that is needed to cross it.”
The Lower Filthy Heaven Lord came to a halt. Despite stopping abruptly while moving at an incredible speed, there was no aftereffect whatsoever. It was as if he had simply paused during a leisurely stroll. It was a terrifying mastery of the Lightness Skill that once again astonished Namgung Jun, even after his newfound realization.
“It seems you have gained your own insight.”
“Thank you for your guidance.”
“I wonder what kind of Lightness Skill will be created from the realization you gained today.”
Watching Namgung Jun bow politely, the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord nodded.
“I hope your Chivalry transcends this thousand-li lake and reaches the entire world. Until we meet again.”
“Where are you going?”
“Is there any place in the world that does not need a physician?”
In an instant, the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord vanished beyond Chaohu Lake.
Splish!
Standing alone in the middle of the lake, Namgung Jun savored the day’s sudden encounter with a single, steadying step.
*
After his brief excursion, Namgung Jun returned to the Yeongjun Merchant Group. The members of the Azure Firmament Hall seemed to have finished their recovery in the meantime and were in perfect condition.
“Hall Master. I was worried. I heard you left for Chaohu Lake alone while heavily injured.”
“Brother Baekri.”
Baekri Cheong glanced at Namgung Jun's shoulder with worried eyes, likely concerned about the injury sustained during the life-and-death battle with the Great-Dusk Spear Paragon.
“I’m fine now. My wounds have fully recovered.”
“Hmm? That wasn’t an injury that could heal in such a short time…”
When Namgung Jun rotated his arm in a wide circle to demonstrate, Baekri Cheong blinked in surprise. Only after seeing Namgung Jun’s smile did he finally nod in understanding.
“Hall Master.”
Namgung Jun, who had been talking with Baekri Cheong, turned his head. Gong Jun-am was walking over with a greatsword slung over his shoulder, looking as if he had been in the middle of training.
“While you were away, the main headquarters contacted us through the Hefei Branch.”
“We’re returning soon, so why the contact? Is it our next mission?”
Gong Jun-am handed over a letter.
“Our next destination is Sichuan Province, but it’s not a solo mission.”
Namgung Jun nodded after scanning the letter.
“It’s a joint mission with Mokryun Hall. Doesn’t Mokryun Hall only take on solo missions?”
“That’s not a strict rule, but they have rarely carried out joint missions,” Baekri Cheong chimed in from the side. “Since you and the Mokryun Hall Master have some history, the Ink Fragrance Department might have assigned the mission this way.”
“I’m worried, though. Even so, there’s no way the Mokryun Hall Master and her hall will cooperate properly.”
Looking at Baekri Cheong and Gong Jun-am, Namgung Jun folded the letter.
“What is the overall condition of the Azure Firmament Hall?”
“Everyone is in perfect shape. We were planning to depart once you were somewhat recovered.”
“In that case, we will depart early tomorrow morning.”
Gong Jun-am’s eyes widened. He knew Namgung Jun was not one to make empty boasts. Seeing Gong Jun-am’s reaction follow Baekri Cheong’s, Namgung Jun felt grateful once again to the Lower Filthy Heaven Lord, who had used his medical martial arts to shorten his recovery time.
‘Thanks to him, we can move immediately without wasting any time.’
The Azure Firmament Hall began to move westward.