Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Plum Blossom Bronze Plaque (3)
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But the mysterious figure alone understood Ouyang Jue’s actions.
Though he was a disciple he had only just met today, there was a certain quality about him that resonated with his own.
From his blunt way of speaking that cut straight to the core, to his preference for profit over displays of false indignation.
It was a good thing he had offered the Small Purple Spirit Elixir the moment he saw Bai Duanxian’s expression harden; otherwise, he would have been interrogated to the very end.
‘Did that brat, the Profound Sword of Wudang, say I was similar to him?’
To think a little punk who was just a kid when I was making a name for myself would start acting all high and mighty just because he’s grown up a bit and people call him an Adept.
The thought was fleeting. The mysterious figure felt a sense of amusement as he watched Ouyang Jue bow.
‘He certainly does seem that way.’
He was more of a rogue than a Daoist priest, with the bearing of a warrior rather than a spiritual adept.
And above all, look at that gaze—even while bowing, he was subtly glancing toward where the mysterious figure stood.
The corners of the mysterious figure’s mouth curved deeper than a crescent moon.
“I’ll be looking forward to what you do next.”
With those words, the unidentified figure vanished.
As Bai Duanxian wiped away his cold sweat, Ouyang Jue’s eyes glinted sharply.
Chirp, cheep!
The moon was setting, and the sun was beginning to rise.
* * *
Early in the morning, Bai Duanxian visited the Plum Blossom Clinic.
There, he made a concise request to Physician Cheong.
“I wish to bestow the Small Purple Spirit Elixir upon a disciple, Physician Cheong.”
At his words, Physician Cheong scratched his chin for a moment.
“Sect Leader, the rooster hasn’t even crowed yet. What are you talking about…?”
He seemed to think the Sect Leader had come to tell a rather bland joke first thing in the morning.
But when Bai Duanxian repeated his request for the Small Purple Spirit Elixir, stating he intended to give it to Ouyang Jue, Physician Cheong asked back in astonishment.
“What? The Small Purple Spirit Elixir? For real?”
He was exhausted from tending to Ha Jin-ak until dawn, but he couldn’t hide his expression of surprise.
It was, after all, a rather unconventional matter.
“Sect Leader, no matter how well Jue has been doing lately, how can you consider giving him one of Mount Hua’s treasures?”
“...Hmph.”
“Even for the Sect Leader, the Small Purple Spirit Elixir is a supreme treasure that requires half the staff of the Plum Blossom Clinic to spend nearly five years in refinement to create…”
“I am aware.”
Bai Duanxian wore a troubled expression, pondering the task the Plum Blossom Cave Dweller had left him.
‘How on earth can I give him the Small Purple Spirit Elixir on my own authority?’
The mere thought made Bai Duanxian’s head throb, and he let out a heavy sigh.
The reason for making Ouyang Jue take the elixir was easy enough to guess.
‘The vast internal energy Jin-ak left behind... is too much, even for someone like Jue.’
The resulting imbalance would surely cause his body to gradually break down or his temperament to become unstable.
The idea must be to control it with the Small Purple Spirit Elixir, but…
“...Hah.”
Bai Duanxian stared intently at Ouyang Jue, who was casually leading Jo Hun around and teaching him sword techniques.
How could he possibly treat that boy as an invalid?
If anything, he was more vigorous than before the impartation; everyone had seen him leap nearly a zhang into the air from a standing start.
Unaware that Ha Jin-ak had consumed even his True Origin Qi to expand Ouyang Jue’s capacity, Bai Duanxian could only feel frustrated.
And now, he had to give him the Small Purple Spirit Elixir, a supreme treasure of the Mount Hua Sect, by his own ‘discretion.’
‘I can’t just ignore an order given with the Plum Blossom Bronze Plaque.’
To Bai Duanxian, the sky today seemed a sickly yellow.
‘I have no choice but to try and persuade the Protectors.’
Just as Bai Duanxian was about to leave the Plum Blossom Clinic, planning his next move.
*Shuffle.*
“Hold it!”
Physician Cheong frowned at the three men who walked in with dirt on their feet.
“I’ve told you time and again, it’s rude to enter the clinic with dirty feet, is it not?”
Although Physician Cheong’s authority within the Plum Blossom Clinic rivaled that of the Sect Leader, he couldn’t easily give orders to these men.
The reason was simple.
Master of the Reception Hall, Gwak Un-pae.
Master of the Disciplinary Hall, Song Muk.
And with them, the Master of the Law Enforcement Hall, Cheol Geum-san, who was famous for rarely venturing out.
Faced with this completely unexpected arrival, Physician Cheong reiterated his point.
“I didn’t realize the three elders were so concerned about Ha Jin-ak, but would you please remove your shoes first?”
“We came for that very reason, and on our way, we happened to overhear what you said.”
Cheol Geum-san, the most senior of the elders, opened his usually taciturn mouth.
“Did you say that you, Sect Leader, wish to bestow the Small Purple Spirit Elixir upon Junior Brother Ouyang?”
“I did.”
“Then why have you not said a single word to us about it?”
“That’s because…”
Bai Duanxian couldn’t bring himself to admit he had intended to bestow the elixir without following official procedures.
Moreover, his opponent was not an easy one.
Ink Stone Iron String, or simply Ink String.
His iron-willed heart thoroughly prevented Song Muk from letting things slide, and his martial arts were so strong that he had slain over ten demonic practitioners.
Among his achievements was the renowned feat of annihilating the Incense Master of the Nine Demon Cult.
Bai Duanxian’s expression turned cold.
“It is because Jue’s condition is not good at the moment.”
At that, Cheol Geum-san let out a soft sound of understanding. “Ah.”
“So it was true that all of Junior Brother Ha’s internal energy was transferred to Junior Brother Ouyang.”
“That is confidential.”
“I understand the gravity of the situation, Sect Leader. In fact, I’m a little disappointed you didn’t tell us sooner.”
However, Cheol Geum-san then added the opinion of the Law Enforcement Hall.
“If he is suffering from an excessive amount of internal energy, he can simply discard some of it. Any internal injuries sustained in the process can be treated with other pills, not necessarily the Small Purple Spirit Elixir.”
*So he’s coming at this with pure logic.*
Bai Duanxian frowned and appealed to Cheol Geum-san’s emotions.
“I understand what the Master of the Law Enforcement Hall is saying, but aside from the boy’s own will, the internal energy Jin-ak cultivated contains the very essence of Mount Hua. To discard it is…”
Cheol Geum-san brushed the sentiment aside.
“It is a waste, I agree. After all, we once gave Jin-ak a Small Purple Spirit Elixir.”
“...”
“Which is precisely why it’s more dangerous. Taking the internal energy from two or more of those elixirs carries the risk of a backlash.”
Cheol Geum-san spoke of the possibility of a backlash, but the four martial artists present thought of a different outcome.
The Small Heavenly Cycle, or perhaps metamorphosis.
The Small Heavenly Cycle meant opening the Governing and Conception Vessels, aided by immense internal energy and an even greater will.
Metamorphosis, while not the legendary bone reconstruction, was the culmination of external arts that transformed the human body, making it tougher.
But how could such a thing be easy?
Even failing the Small Heavenly Cycle and having the energy merely permeate and cleanse the body’s meridians was a significant gain.
Bai Duanxian knew of a peerless martial artist who could make it happen.
“The Protector will assist him.”
“...?!”
At his words, the three elders’ eyebrows shot up in surprise.
“The Protector, you say?”
“Yes, I have already secured his permission.”
To be precise, the Plum Blossom Cave Dweller had left word for the Protector, but it wasn’t a lie.
The two Protectors would have to obey his words, after all.
But Cheol Geum-san shook his head.
“If we grant him the Small Purple Spirit Elixir on these grounds, it will set a precedent. In the worst-case scenario, someone might suddenly eat a hundred-year-old snow ginseng and then demand an elixir.”
One might doubt such an absurd situation could happen, but Cheol Geum-san’s face held a strong conviction.
There was also a hint of pity in his eyes.
No matter how much the Mount Hua Sect was established as a sacred site of Daoism, its members were ultimately martial artists.
Their ambition was no less than that of any other sect. They would surely try to force such unreasonable demands.
‘Tsk, is there no other way?’
Just as Bai Duanxian’s voice was about to rise, seeing that Cheol Geum-san would not yield.
Gwak Un-pae and Song Muk, who had been listening quietly, interjected.
“Even if it sets such a precedent, I believe we must give the elixir to Jue.”
“What?”
“Because that boy received everything from Mount Hua’s Senior-most Brother.”
Song Muk revealed his firm resolve.
“The symbolism is more than sufficient. If we tell him to discard the internal energy now, we would be telling him to discard the legacy of Mount Hua’s Senior-most Brother. What would the other disciples and the secular families think?”
“...”
At this succession of profound words, a speechless Cheol Geum-san folded his arms and fell into thought.
Then, as if he had made up his mind, his gaze turned to Physician Cheong.
Gwak Un-pae, too, seemed to share Song Muk’s opinion, agreeing with his silence.
When Bai Duanxian’s gaze joined theirs, Physician Cheong scratched the back of his head in a difficult position.
‘...Was Ouyang Jue’s virtue really this great?’
Physician Cheong let out a long sigh.
‘The Plum Blossom Clinic is going to be busy starting today.’
A quarter of an hour later.
Physician Cheong retrieved the Small Purple Spirit Elixir from the secret repository and handed it to Bai Duanxian.
* * *
Though there was much controversy and talk surrounding Ouyang Jue, matters proceeded steadily and in order.
Not only was Sect Leader Bai Duanxian’s will firm, but so too was the will of the Protector, Adept Bai Shang.
As a result, contrary to Bai Duanxian’s initial intentions, the matter became widely known throughout Mount Hua.
It was only natural, as it was impossible to completely conceal an affair related to Ha Jin-ak, the Senior-most Brother of the Mount Hua Sect.
At first, the rumors about Ouyang Jue were somewhat unfavorable, but as the story of his desperate battle came to light, public opinion gradually turned in his favor.
The fact that the Sect Leader and two elders had personally escorted the unconscious Ha Jin-ak back was a deeply impressive act.
One of the Daoists among them said with tears in his eyes.
“Mount Hua does not abandon its disciples.”
The gist of it was that even though Ha Jin-ak was hovering on the brink of death, Mount Hua had not given up on him and was striving not to let even the internal energy he left behind be lost.
In truth, considering the considerable expense of simply keeping Ha Jin-ak alive, a single Small Purple Spirit Elixir was a significant expenditure.
‘If Ouyang Jue hadn’t dealt with the Golden Ring Merchant Guild when he did...’
The Mount Hua Sect would have had no choice but to give up on Ha Jin-ak.
Because of this, rumors began to spread that Ouyang Jue possessed some kind of foresight.
However, Ouyang Jue, the subject of these rumors, decisively grabbed the collar of the person spreading them.
“Please, do not spread such rumors.”
“Wh-why are you doing this?”
“I am merely employing grappling arts during a spar.”
It happened during a sparring session where many disciples were training.
This stopped the rumors from spreading, but Ouyang Jue was once again branded a brutish ruffian.
He had skill, but no manners.
It wasn’t untrue, so Ouyang Jue accepted it. It didn’t particularly bother him.
Getting angry over the truth only meant that was the limit of one’s character.
Ouyang Jue paid it no mind and went on with his life as usual.
“Senior Brother Ouyang, what are you going to teach me today?”
Ouyang Jue chuckled as he looked at Jo Hun, who had put on a noticeable amount of weight.
The boy who should have been honing his Heart Sword through seated meditation was now desperate to stick by his side.
This, too, was a change.
Ouyang Jue, feeling the wooden sword stick perfectly to his palm today, asked himself.
Did he feel displeasure with this changed present?
‘No, perhaps not.’
*Fwoosh, clack!*
Ouyang Jue clashed with Jo Hun’s now somewhat more refined Plum Blossom Sword.
And so, the day he would take the Small Purple Spirit Elixir drew near.
One day, two days, four days, and then a week.
When the day finally arrived, Ouyang Jue followed Bai Duanxian’s lead to the hermitage where the Protector resided.
“You’ve come?”
“Yes, Adept Bai Shang.”
At that, Adept Bai Shang—no, Jeong Jung-san—let out a hearty laugh.
“What Adept? Enough of that. My secular name is Jeong Jung-san, so feel free to call me Martial Uncle Jeong.”
“Understood.”
“Now then, take off your shirt, sit before me, and lower your guard.”
Following Jeong Jung-san’s instructions, Ouyang Jue slowly moved, neatly folded his shirt, placed it beside him, and sat in a meditative posture.
Before him rested a red wooden box.
‘So that’s the Small Purple Spirit Elixir.’
He could faintly feel the elixir’s sacred energy seeping through the thin cracks of the box.
Ouyang Jue calculated how many years of power he could fill his dantian with by combining his current internal energy with the energy in that box.
‘The Senior-most Brother originally had thirty-five years of internal energy from his breathing exercises, plus thirty years from elixirs, and I have five years...’
Wasn’t that an amount far exceeding a full sixty-year cycle?
Even so, Ouyang Jue wasn’t entirely optimistic.
Although the Small Purple Spirit Elixir was commonly believed to contain thirty years of internal energy, one could realistically only absorb about ten years’ worth.
This was because the human body was inherently impure.
It was virtually impossible to directly absorb the pure energy of nature, especially a concoction refined by numerous physicians over five years.
‘The Senior-most Brother must have also taken a Small Purple Spirit Elixir once to reach his thirty-five years.’
One couldn’t train in internal energy before birth, and right now, the Senior-most Brother’s energy in his dantian was reacting to the elixir.
*It is the same as me.*
Ouyang Jue calmly suppressed it, then came up with a new idea.
‘I think I can be greedy here.’
Essence, Qi, and Spirit.
Until now, he had been imbalanced due to a lack of internal energy, but now, his internal energy was so excessive that his body was at high risk of being damaged.
Knowing this, their plan was likely to spread the elixir’s spiritual energy throughout his body to prevent any mishaps.
Ouyang Jue decided to expand upon that idea and, looking at Jeong Jung-san, grinned.
“Martial Uncle Jeong, if we’re going to do this, wouldn’t it be better to kill two birds with one stone?”
“...?”
*Gulp.*
The moment Ouyang Jue swallowed the elixir, Jeong Jung-san placed his hand on Ouyang Jue’s back.
Witnessing the strange phenomenon occurring in Ouyang Jue’s dantian, Jeong Jung-san quickly sent a telepathic message.
-What are you trying to do?
-Didn’t I tell you?
*Crack, pop!*
Though his lips had turned deathly pale from the excessive energy consumption, Ouyang Jue did not lose focus as he replied.
-Kill two birds with one stone. I will refrain from any more telepathic messages now.
*BOOM, THUD!*
The coalesced internal energy slammed against a wall.