A Jiazi's Worth
The dantian screamed.
Inside it sat a colossal mass of internal energy—the equivalent of a full jiazi.
Any ordinary martial artist my age would have had their meridians burst long ago, killed by the overwhelming pressure. Yet I endured. No, I dominated it.
It’s heavy.
I kept my eyes closed and felt the massive dragon thrashing within me. It was beyond comparison with anyone else my age. The insights I had accumulated in my previous life, right up until my black hair turned white, filled my mind. Every martial art I had witnessed while traveling across the Central Plains, every secret technique from countless masters, and even the hereditary arts of great clans—I had studied them all, absorbed them, and made them part of my body.
Did that make me a master?
Not even close.
I knew myself too well. In my current state, I could not dare call myself a high-level expert. But… the preparations were finished.
This jiazi.
The method of handling demonic energy had become second nature. My body had already adapted to the flow of the Dragon Heaven True Qi and the Jade Heaven Descending Dragon Qi. As a result, the demonic energy had grown unchecked, granting me an astronomical amount of internal energy that had now reached the level of one full jiazi.
At my age, possessing a jiazi of inner power was unprecedented in the history of the martial world. Of course, simply having vast internal energy did not make one a master, but it was undeniably one of the most crucial factors.
“Huu.”
I took a deep breath and sat down where I was.
I had entered closed-door training before dawn. Since I had already paid my respects to the Family Head and my mother, I slipped in quietly without any send-off. After all, there were people who spent decades in seclusion; I had no desire to make a fuss over a mere half-year.
My entire body trembled with faint cracking sounds. It felt as though my muscles and bones were remembering each other, settling back into their proper places. My physique was already nearing completion—the result of never missing a single day of physical conditioning.
Still lacking, though…
Compared to the battlefields of my previous life, where I risked my life dozens of times a day, this body still felt soft. What I needed was real combat experience.
On the other hand, my potential had already far surpassed what it had been in my past life. The martial knowledge gained from traveling the Central Plains, the diverse experiences that came with it, the infinite variations of sword grips and breathing patterns, the precise angle of each step, the orientation of my body—through countless secret techniques and enlightenments, I had forged my own martial path.
Slowly. Without impatience.
I drew the internal energy from my dantian, spread it through every meridian in my body, and returned it once more. The energy circulated again and again. It flowed through my blood, surged with every breath, and pierced through my entire being in an instant.
This was the Grand Circulation.
Others spoke of its complex principles, but to me, this simple cycle embodied every truth I possessed.
It begins.
My eyes flashed.
There were exactly two goals I had to achieve during this half-year of training.
Opening the middle dantian.
The first was to open the middle dantian located in my chest—another core point situated near the heart. The moment it opened, the efficiency of my inner energy would become impossibly precise. Moreover, the power of my martial arts would display an overwhelming might that could not even be compared to before.
In my previous life, I only managed to reach the middle dantian.
I had considered opening the upper dantian as well, of course. But opening the upper dantian was something only possible for those who had transcended the absolute peak and were gazing into the next realm entirely. It was a domain I couldn’t even sense at the time, so I had given up quickly.
This life would be different. The starting conditions were far too good.
Still, I had no intention of drinking the kimchi soup before the rice was even cooked. Everything would follow its natural order. Opening the middle dantian came first; only then would I consider the next step.
The number of Grand Circulations had already surpassed twelve. My internal energy gradually swelled, and the rotation speed doubled.
Unity. Merge everything into one.
The Dragon Heaven True Qi and the Jade Heaven Descending Dragon Qi.
Both were supreme heart methods of the Ju Family, known for their destructive transformation of energy. Though different, they shared the same origin since they had been created by the same ancestor, and thus contained points of resonance.
I would combine them and reach a realm I had never attained in my previous life.
Muyoung had entered closed-door training alongside Ju Woo-jin.
It was almost unheard of for anyone other than a direct descendant—let alone a mere warrior—to share a seclusion chamber with a direct line member. Yet Ju Woo-jin had brought him along.
“Huu.”
As soon as they arrived at the training cave, Ju Woo-jin sat at the center and began meditating, tempering his heart method. The energy radiating from him felt ready to explode at any moment. It was clearly no ordinary training.
Muyoung shifted his gaze from Ju Woo-jin and looked down at his sword.
It was the blade he had first received upon joining the Ju Family as a warrior. After that sword broke, his new master had requested a replacement from the Sichuan Tang Family. Naturally, it was far sturdier than the previous one and fit perfectly in his hand.
Moreover, he had already reached the Peak realm. It was remarkably fast progress for his age. He was a member of the Seungryongdae—one of the Ju Family’s three hidden powers—and served as a direct descendant’s personal guard. On top of that, Ju Woo-jin had gifted him a He Shou Wu over a hundred years old.
“What did I ever do to deserve…”
In truth, becoming Ju Woo-jin’s guard had not been for any grand reason. The position came with slightly higher pay and was relatively safer, and it also involved performing minor chores. Those two factors were why he had volunteered.
That was why, the first time he laid eyes on the young master everyone avoided, he had felt nothing but gloom.
“And yet…”
Now it was different.
Who could possibly call that boy the shame of the Ju Family?
They didn’t know. They didn’t know Ju Woo-jin’s true worth.
Decisive and ruthless.
That was the Ju Woo-jin he had witnessed. Once he made a decision, he never bent. Unlike the past when he avoided the elders and the Family Head, he now mingled comfortably with his siblings.
Of course, he excluded that problematic young master.
Moreover… he’s brilliant.
Even if it looked difficult from the outside, he achieved his goals in the blink of an eye. When Woo-jin first spoke of catching demons, Muyoung had thought it nonsense. Now he believed in him completely.
And that master was currently pouring every ounce of his being into training so he could crush those demons.
“I can’t fall behind.”
Muyoung slowly drew his sword. It was about half a chi longer than the one he had originally used. He needed to grow accustomed to it and refine his sword momentum.
“I will become stronger, Young Master.”
His fighting spirit surged. It was not directed at Ju Woo-jin. It was a reflection upon himself.
He would cast aside all his stubborn pride and useless preconceptions. Only then could he be reborn.
To protect his master, Ju Woo-jin.
I am the proud sword of the Ju Family.
The light in Muyoung’s eyes changed completely.
A full month passed in the blink of an eye.
Countless changes had taken place across Jiangxi Province during that time.
The Ju Family’s influence covered the entire province. But where there was light, there was also darkness. In the places beyond the Ju Family’s gaze, groups from the black path naturally operated in the shadows.
The Golden Heaven Assassination Gate was one such organization.
“Our profits have noticeably decreased.”
O Ja-gae, the Gate Master of the Golden Heaven Assassination Gate, frowned as he looked down at the ledger. A drop in revenue was understandable, but it had fallen by more than thirty percent compared to normal. This was a severe blow to maintaining the Gate.
“What is the reason?”
At O Ja-gae’s question, the subordinate kneeling before him answered in a low voice.
“It appears the Black King Sect has begun encroaching on our territory.”
“The Black King Sect? Why them?”
O Ja-gae could not understand it. The Black King Sect’s only real assets were Geungnakru and a few small gambling dens. Of course, the profits from Geungnakru alone were enormous. Wasn’t that exactly why they had grown into one of the three major powers controlling Jiangxi’s underworld?
“It seems that fellow has finally decided to get greedy.”
O Ja-gae thought not of Yeo Mong, the leader of the Black King Sect, but of its steward, Gae Pyeong. The man had crawled up from the back alleys; he was quick-witted and had a mind that worked in strange ways. His business sense was excellent. Though the scale was small, every venture he started brought in money reliably.
In other words, the Black King Sect’s strange behavior was most likely the result of Gae Pyeong’s orders rather than Yeo Mong’s.
“I’ll have to meet with Lady Yeo.”
The Golden Heaven Assassination Gate could not completely disregard the Black King Sect. If they clashed, the resulting bloodshed would be impossible to contain. Especially with the Haedobang watching for any opportunity from the sidelines. Starting a war right under the Ju Family’s nose carried too much risk.
Of course, as a typical black path leader, he was already prepared to draw his blade the moment words failed.
It was a rather elegant residence.
In the graveled courtyard sat a small pond where carp swam vigorously. Whenever the wind blew, the wind chimes beneath the eaves rang out with clear, cheerful notes.
There, a man and a woman sat facing each other, lifting their teacups.
After a long stretch of silent tea-drinking, the man finally spoke.
“This time… even Gwi-gun has stopped responding.”
“Yes. We have been searching in every direction, but it seems…”
“He’s dead.”
The man nodded as though it were obvious. Sa-an Gwi-gun had been the type to carry out his missions faithfully without ever losing contact. There had never been a single instance where communication had been severed for this long.
“You must have found something?”
At the man’s question, the woman flinched. She lowered her head modestly and answered.
“Sal-je, Dok-je, and Gwi-je… all lost contact while carrying out missions in Jiangxi Province.”
“Hm? That’s different from what I heard. I was told Sal-je died in Sichuan.”
The woman nodded at the man’s words.
“The place of death was Sichuan, but it appears Do-gon was also killed while seeking revenge for Dok-je.”
“Oho. Revenge for Dok-je. Did that brother still possess such familial affection?”
“Weren’t they targets scheduled for disposal anyway?”
She was referring to Do-gon. His demonic qi had grown so violent that he had reached a point where he could no longer carry out missions as one of the Twelve Demon Emperors. That had been the conclusion reached by the Twelve. The man, who was also one of them, shared the same view.
“Hmm. So it is the Ju Family after all.”
The man stroked his smooth, beardless chin with interest.
The woman waited quietly for his decision.
“It seems we’ll have to take action, won’t we?”
“…Surely you don’t intend to move personally?”
“It’s irritating.”
The man smiled faintly. Yet within that smile lingered a chilling, bone-piercing killing intent. The woman trembled at his words.
“You must move first, Eul.”
Eul was the woman’s name.
At the man’s command, she immediately bowed her head.
“I will carry out your orders, my lord.”
After emptying his final cup of tea, the man rose from his seat.
“If the Ju Family has caught wind of our movements…”
“Then you must judge the situation and act accordingly.”
The man cut off her words.
“If, by some chance, they have noticed our movements and are responding in kind…”
He stared at his own reflection in the teacup and whispered softly.
“Annoying weeds must be pulled up. Roots and all.”
Crash!
The teacup in the man’s hand turned to powder and scattered. He had not touched it. The cup had simply disintegrated from his aura alone.
“Go. Go and teach the Ju Family what a true nightmare is.”
“Your command will be obeyed.”
Eul bowed deeply.
Yet for some reason, the expression on her lowered face was stained with indescribable sorrow. It was because she remembered that her lord had never once smiled at her with genuine warmth.
That fact… suddenly made her sad.