Chapter 43: Severed Meridian (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 43: Severed Meridian (2)
A woman had collapsed, and a man was desperately trying to protect her from the other martial worlders closing in. Now, Namgung Jun and Lee Se-ha stood in their way. The once-peaceful inn instantly erupted into chaos—just another day's business, it seemed.
The other patrons scrambled back to give them a wide berth. The waiter and innkeeper, meanwhile, had already vanished into the kitchen, their practiced disappearance a testament to how often martial artists caused such uproars.
“Who the hell are you?”
“Get out of the way!”
“They're trying to spoil our fun!”
The martial worlders, who had been pinned by the master and disciple’s oppressive qi, began channeling their own internal energy to resist. Their voices grew louder, emboldened by their numbers.
Even with the furious martial artists before them, the master and disciple conversed swiftly via Voice Transmission.
Master.
Yes. I felt it too.
When the woman collapsed, a faint chill had radiated from her body. It was too subtle for an ordinary person to notice, but any martial artist with a keen perception of qi would feel it instantly. Considering what they’d overheard, both master and disciple arrived at the same conclusion.
Her symptoms… they’re very similar to what I experience during my seizures.
I agree. I’ll hold them off. Go check on her, Jun.
As Lee Se-ha stepped forward, Namgung Jun nodded and approached the fallen woman.
The man, already glaring warily, fixed his eyes on Namgung Jun. Just as he was about to make a move, Namgung Jun’s voice entered his mind.
Was the young lady born with a severed meridian?
At Namgung Jun’s Voice Transmission, the hand of the man clutching the jade bottle flinched.
Though he received no verbal answer, Namgung Jun knew his guess was correct.
I was born male, but with the Nine Yin Severed Meridian. Because of it, I learned a heart method that cultivates scorching Yang qi. I can suppress the young lady’s Yin Cold Qi, if only for a moment.
Hearing Namgung Jun's message, the man spoke aloud without thinking.
“What nonsense is this?”
Anticipating this reaction, Namgung Jun offered his wrist. Seeing this, the man’s hand trembled slightly.
It was an act of profound trust; for a martial artist to voluntarily offer their wrist was to place their life in another’s hands. Yet, Namgung Jun's expression was perfectly serene.
Realizing his intent, the man grabbed Namgung Jun’s pulse point and channeled his internal energy.
Along with a distinctly scorching Yang qi, he felt a chilling coldness seeping from intermittently blocked meridians. It was undeniable. There was no room for doubt.
A severed meridian… truly? And in a man’s body?
Withdrawing his internal energy, the man glanced at Namgung Jun with astonished eyes. However, Namgung Jun was already focused on examining the seizing woman.
“I will take that as your permission.”
“Mmh.”
Having proven his Nine Yin Severed Meridian to the man, Namgung Jun took hold of the fallen woman's pulse.
Meanwhile, a complex look crossed the green-robed man’s face. He clearly didn’t trust Namgung Jun completely, but he also knew he had no other choice.
Crackle!
The Thunder Qi writhing at Namgung Jun's fingertips began to suppress the Yin Cold Qi raging inside the woman's body. As the internal energy of the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Formula circulated through her meridians, Namgung Jun became certain of her condition.
The Three Yin Severed Meridian.
Though still a severed meridian, it was in a much better state than his own Nine Yin Severed Meridian. Only three of her meridians were blocked, and the Yin Cold Qi she emitted was far weaker.
Thanks to this, Namgung Jun could easily suppress the Yin Cold Qi with his Thunder Qi alone. Having confirmed the nature of her severed meridian, he began to channel the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Formula in earnest.
Hummmm!
Go straight down from the Shenzang acupoint to the Bulang acupoint, bypass from the Youmen acupoint to the Xinshu acupoint, and crush the coldness.
The path of qi circulation Namgung Jun was employing was only the beginning. An incredibly precise and complex manipulation of internal energy began to spread through the woman’s meridians, like fine roots taking hold in soil.
By blending his own painful experience with the Sword Emperor’s profound expertise in manipulating internal energy, he had devised a new method to counter the seizures. Following the technique he had refined, Namgung Jun repeatedly channeled his Thunder Qi, filling her meridians and guiding its flow.
By the time the qi had completed five full cycles, the woman’s complexion began to ease into tranquility.
Yet, Namgung Jun did not let his guard down. He continued channeling his internal energy, scraping out every last trace of Yin Cold Qi hiding in the deepest recesses of her meridians and suppressing it with his Thunder Qi.
Just a little more.
Before long, the woman's trembling body stilled, and her complexion returned to its natural, healthy color. Even without taking her pulse, it was obvious the seizure had stopped. Seeing this, the man, who had been biting his nails in anxiety, let his jaw drop.
“It really…!”
As Namgung Jun withdrew his internal energy and opened his eyes, beads of sweat dripped down his sharp jawline. The Yin Cold Qi of the Three Yin Severed Meridian was weaker than that of the Nine Yin Severed Meridian, but forcibly calming another person's seizure and driving out their Yin Cold Qi was no easy feat.
The drain on my internal energy is severe. But this was still of great help.
Calming the seizure of the Three Yin Severed Meridian served as another invaluable experience for Namgung Jun. Though it wasn't exactly the same as the Nine Yin Severed Meridian, he could use this as a foundation to further refine his internal energy techniques.
While Namgung Jun was calming the woman's seizure, Lee Se-ha dealt with the martial worlders who had stormed the inn.
Thud!
A long trail of blue light streamed from Lee Se-ha's palms. A single strike of the Heavenly Thunder Palm Technique slammed into two men, one in the solar plexus and the other in the collarbone. They crashed into a table in unison.
But the other martial worlders rushed forward with burning eyes, completely undeterred.
“Surround her!”
“Does this wench have any idea who we are?!”
The martial worlders moved in unison, surrounding Lee Se-ha to trap her. They appeared to be rogue martial artists who traveled the Jianghu alone, yet they skillfully coordinated their distances to launch a joint attack.
Crackle!
Lee Se-ha still did not draw her sword. Instead, the blue lightning flowing along her black robe only grew more vivid.
Clang! Clang!
Alternating between hand blades and open palms, she violently deflected the incoming weapons. The branching lightning writhed like dozens of iron chains, subduing the martial worlders one by one. Her movements were on an entirely different level from theirs.
Realizing that their coordinated attack was completely useless, the martial worlders' expressions filled with anxiety.
“A black robe and blue lightning… Could she be…!”
“Why in the world is the Black Cloud Wandering Maiden in a place like this?!”
“Damn it! How should I know?!”
Recognizing Lee Se-ha, a few of them halted mid-charge and looked for a way to flee. However, her swiftly extending, delicate hands permitted no escape.
Crackle!
The bolts of lightning, blooming as thickly as spreading branches, carried a deafening roar of thunder.
“Argh!”
Every time the inn's windows flashed with blue light, another martial worlder collapsed.
By the time her fluttering black hair slowly settled, not a single one remained standing around her. Every last one of them had been knocked unconscious, each with at least one broken limb.
Having effortlessly subdued the martial worlders, Lee Se-ha glanced toward Namgung Jun. He gave a slight nod to show he was fine, and she raised her voice, calling toward the back of the inn.
“Sorry for the mess. This should be more than enough to cover the food and the repairs.”
Tossing a pouch from her breast pocket toward the kitchen, Lee Se-ha looked at the woman, who had yet to regain consciousness.
“Let's move for now.”
“Yes, Master.”
Hesitating under the questioning gazes of the master and disciple, the man gathered the woman into his arms and nodded.
“I will go with you.”
*
Namgung Jun's group took shelter in a nearby cave.
“First, let me express my gratitude.”
After spreading a blanket in the depths of the cave and laying the woman down, the man bowed politely.
“My name is Tang Bo-seon, and this is my sister, Tang Yeo-jin. We are from Sichuan Province.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Young Hero Tang.”
Namgung Jun returned the greeting and introduced himself and Lee Se-ha. Once they had exchanged names, Tang Bo-seon asked the question that burned in his mind.
“Pardon my rudeness, but what exactly are the symptoms of your severed meridian, Young Hero Namgung?”
“It is the Nine Yin Severed Meridian.”
“The Nine Yin Severed Meridian?!”
Tang Bo-seon's eyes widened in shock. His sister, Tang Yeo-jin, suffered so terribly from a mere Three Yin Severed Meridian. He could hardly believe that Namgung Jun, born with the Nine Yin Severed Meridian, looked so healthy.
Is it because he was born a male with natural Yang energy, and because he learned to harness scorching Yang qi? Even so, the pain must be excruciating.
The boy before him must have endured hardships beyond his imagination. Tang Bo-seon could only guess as much.
Wait.
Staring intently at Namgung Jun, Tang Bo-seon suddenly realized something.
The Red Cloud Fire Ginseng could also be of immense help to Namgung Jun. On top of that, didn't Namgung Jun possess internal energy of extreme Yang? It wouldn't be strange at all if he drew his sword right now to seize the Red Cloud Fire Ginseng.
As Tang Bo-seon flinched in sudden anxiety, Namgung Jun clasped his hands in a polite gesture.
“Do not worry. I have no designs on the Red Cloud Fire Ginseng.”
“How can that be? Is your life not on the line? While the Red Cloud Fire Ginseng might not cure the Nine Yin Severed Meridian, it would certainly extend your lifespan.”
Namgung Jun caressed the hilt of the sword at his waist.
“When you live by the sword, you are always walking the line between life and death. It is nothing new.”
Namgung Jun's clear gaze and confident voice struck a deep chord in Tang Bo-seon's heart. Ever since obtaining the Red Cloud Fire Ginseng, he had looked upon every martial artist with suspicion, and he was doing the same now. Yet, he could not bring himself to doubt Namgung Jun's spotlessly clear eyes. Though he couldn't pinpoint the exact reason, there was a distinct, undeniable nobility in Namgung Jun's bearing.
This boy truly believes what he says.
Death was the closest companion to a martial artist. Thus, Namgung Jun seemed to focus not on how long he lived, but on how he lived.
Namgung Jun looked back at Lee Se-ha.
“Besides, if I were to prolong my life through such cowardly means, my Master would be deeply disappointed in me.”
Lee Se-ha merely offered a faint smile and gave a slight nod. Gently patting Namgung Jun's shoulder, she asked, “Now that we've established some trust, I'd like to hear the details of your situation.”
“The two of you are already my benefactors. What reason would I have to hide anything?” Catching his breath, Tang Bo-seon began to speak. “An old acquaintance gave me information about the Red Cloud Fire Ginseng, which is why I came all the way to Anhui Province. After much hardship, I finally found it, but that was where the trouble began.”
“I see. Other martial worlders caught wind of the Red Cloud Fire Ginseng's existence.”
Checking the jade bottle and the hidden weapons inside his green robe, Tang Bo-seon added, “To be precise, the Martial Strike Sect was the first to notice. Once they moved, the surrounding martial worlders caught the scent and swarmed like flies.”
The Martial Strike Sect. The unorthodox sect that wielded the greatest influence in Zhejiang Province. It was also a major sect belonging to the Eight Great Unorthodox Powers.
Namgung Jun pondered the name.
The Eight Great Unorthodox Powers. As I recall, they are the most prominent unorthodox sects in the Jianghu.
Just as the Righteous Faction had its Three Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Mountains Sword Sects, the Unorthodox Faction had the Eight Great Unorthodox Powers. Like the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult, they were one of the primary adversaries that the Azure Heaven Association clashed with.
I'm clashing with them much sooner than expected.
At the mention of the Martial Strike Sect, Lee Se-ha, who had been listening quietly, tilted her bamboo hat upward slightly.
“Do you know who from the Martial Strike Sect is on the move?”
“I haven't seen them myself, but rumor has it that the Second Young Master of the Martial Strike Sect and his subordinates are leading the pursuit.”
“Fortunately, it seems their main martial force hasn't shown up yet,” Lee Se-ha murmured.
Tang Bo-seon nodded. Thanks to his family's secret poisons, hidden weapons, and Lightness Movement Art, he had somehow managed to hold out. But if their pursuers had been the elites of the Martial Strike Sect, he wouldn't have made it this far.
Even so, his flight was now reaching its limit.
My poisons and hidden weapons are almost depleted. And we only had a little further to go…
Just as Tang Bo-seon was lost in anxious thought, a stir came from the depths of the cave.
“Brother?”
Tang Yeo-jin, who had lost consciousness from the seizure caused by her Three Yin Severed Meridian, had finally awakened.