Chapter 281 – Bonds Cannot Be Predicted (3)

The wind that had taken human form spoke.

"I thought Mount Hua only had the Fist Demon as a notable figure. I was mistaken."

The voice sounded like the humming of the wind. It was difficult to understand unless one listened carefully.

Myung Kyung's eyes gleamed.

"Who are you? How dare you use evil arts on Mount Hua?"

Mount Hua had closed its gates.

Having completely cut off activities with the outside world, no one could enter Mount Hua without permission. At least, that was true for sects that followed the righteous path.

Myung Kyung's sword pointed toward the wind that had taken human form. His sword gleamed more coldly than ever before.

"Your achievement is quite impressive."

"Reveal your identity."

"Kuh! If I were going to do that, why would I bother using the Glassy Invisibility Art?"

"If you won't reveal yourself willingly, I'll have to force you to speak."

"Hmph! The arrogance of this youngster reaches the heavens. Do you find the Blood Spirit Emissary so laughable?"

"Blood Spirit Emissary?"

It was a title he had never heard before.

'Is it the Demon Cult?'

A murderous intent swirled in Myung Kyung's eyes.

If it was the Demon Cult, Myung Kyung hated them to the point of grinding his teeth. Without further thought, he charged toward the Blood Spirit Emissary.

Swoosh!

Myung Kyung's sword sharply cut through the air.

With the momentum to cleave anything in two.

In that instant, the Blood Spirit Emissary's body rippled and allowed Myung Kyung's sword to pass through.

'There's no feeling.'

Myung Kyung's pupils trembled slightly.

Clearly, his sword had sliced through the Blood Spirit Emissary's body. Yet, he felt nothing in his hands.

"Chaaaat!"

Myung Kyung let out a battle cry.

This time, he unleashed the Plum Blossom Nine Swords technique, not ordinary swordplay.

A rain of swords poured into the air.

Sword Rain.

The ultimate move of the Plum Blossom Nine Swords was unleashed.

Pububububuk!

The Blood Spirit Emissary's body was pierced countless times by the rain of swords. It was a powerful attack that would have killed or fatally wounded any ordinary person. But it seemed to have no effect on the Blood Spirit Emissary.

'What on earth?'

Once again, no sensation was transmitted to his hands. It was impossible according to his common sense.

While Myung Kyung was bewildered, wind rose from the Blood Spirit Emissary's body and surged toward him.

Wheeeng!

Myung Kyung deployed the Revolving Severance Wheel technique to protect himself.

Papapapat!

The oncoming wind was torn to shreds.

Myung Kyung tried to use this momentum to attack the Blood Spirit Emissary.

At that moment, his body hesitated. Though he still held his sword, his face was filled with bewilderment. It was because darkness surrounded him in all directions.

"This can't be!"

It was darkness so complete that he couldn't see an inch in front of him.

Though it was indeed nighttime, it hadn't been this dark before.

Myung Kyung realized that something was wrong with his senses. The evil arts deployed by the Blood Spirit Emissary had confused his senses.

He had trained in the martial arts of Mount Hua Sect, the leader of the Hyunmun Orthodox Sects. Ordinary evil arts couldn't even penetrate his defenses, yet his senses had been disrupted in an instant. This meant that his opponent's evil arts were far from ordinary.

Myung Kyung closed his eyes. If he couldn't distinguish anything with his eyes anyway, it was better to abandon them and rely on his other senses.

'Where are you?'

His ears opened wide, and his senses became more sensitive. He could feel the flow of air.

He released his qi like unraveling threads, scattering it in all directions. A slight movement caught on the qi he had spread out.

"Chaaaat!"

Myung Kyung unleashed the Chaotic Wind Leaves, one of the ultimate moves of the Plum Blossom Nine Swords.

In the darkness, plum blossom leaves scattered chaotically. But the Blood Spirit Emissary wasn't caught by any of the plum blossom leaves.

"It's useless. In the Prison of Endless Darkness, I am the emperor."

The Blood Spirit Emissary smiled in the darkness.

The space that Myung Kyung perceived as darkness was actually the crystallization of the Blood Spirit Emissary's internal energy. He converted his entire body's internal energy into clouds and released it. The released clouds completely cut off the inside from the outside while confusing the senses of those trapped within.

Unless the Blood Spirit Emissary released them, there was no way for those trapped inside to escape by their own power.

Everything Myung Kyung felt and detected was an illusion created by the Blood Spirit Emissary. Even now, Myung Kyung was continuously unleashing the ultimate moves of the Plum Blossom Nine Swords into empty space.

The Blood Spirit Emissary's gaze turned toward the Medicine King Hall.

'The Plum Blossom Divine Pill, you say.'

For the first time, a light of greed appeared in his eyes.

Until he came here, his purpose had been simple surveillance. But when he discovered that the Plum Blossom Divine Pill had been created, a seed of greed took root in his heart.

Five Plum Blossom Divine Pills were truly a priceless treasure. Although they would be of no use to him who had mastered evil arts, they could still be an enormous power depending on how they were used.

'I'll take that woman along with the Plum Blossom Divine Pills.'

Jong Ri-yeon.

She had recreated the Plum Blossom Divine Pill in the current era, despite its manufacturing method having been lost long ago. Therefore, if he took her, he could make as many Plum Blossom Divine Pills as he wanted.

'The Sect Master only ordered me to quietly observe, but if I bring her, he will surely recognize my merit.'

He smiled.

The Blood Spirit Emissary raised his hand. Immense power gathered in his hand.

He could see the back of Myung Kyung, who was still swinging his sword in the Prison of Endless Darkness. If he unleashed his palm strike now, Myung Kyung would either die or be severely wounded.

'Die!'

Just as the Blood Spirit Emissary was about to unleash his palm force toward Myung Kyung…

"Infinite Buddha!"

Suddenly, a low voice echoed through the night sky.

"Kuut!"

A soft groan escaped from the Blood Spirit Emissary's lips. His emotionless eyes trembled. It was because his spirit had suddenly been shaken.

From the darkness, the voice continued.

"The Dao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Dao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name. If you call the Dao by its name, it is no longer the Dao, and if you call a name by its name, it is no longer a name."

It was the first verse of the Tao Te Ching written by Laozi. It was a verse that anyone walking the path of Taoism would know. The Blood Spirit Emissary was also well familiar with this ordinary verse. That's why he didn't think much of it.

'This can't be!'

But at this moment, his spirit was greatly shaken.

It wasn't simply because the unknown opponent had recited the Tao Te Ching. It was because of the inexplicable power contained in the voice reciting the Tao Te Ching.

The Blood Spirit Emissary looked in the direction from which the voice came with bloodshot eyes.

A Taoist priest with a clear countenance was approaching.

As he drew closer, the Blood Spirit Emissary's complexion, hidden by the wind, turned pale.

The Taoist priest's voice continued resonantly.

"If you think it's darkness, darkness will come, and if you believe there is light, the world will be filled with light. Myung Kyung, don't be deluded by the darkness you see. Though forms may differ, there is only one essence."

At that moment, Myung Kyung, who had been wandering aimlessly in the Prison of Endless Darkness, stopped abruptly. An extraordinary aura flowed from his entire body.

"Kuut!"

The Blood Spirit Emissary bit his lip tightly.

His Prison of Endless Darkness was shaking.

Just as the fog that engulfs dawn disappears with the rising sun, the energy of the Prison of Endless Darkness was dissipating.

Bloodshot eyes appeared in the Blood Spirit Emissary's eyes.

His entire body felt itchy. It was as if thousands of needles were pricking his entire body.

The Taoist priest was merely chanting incantations without taking any action. Yet, the Blood Spirit Emissary was in unbearable agony.

'What kind of Taoist power…'

From the Taoist priest's entire body, an immeasurably deep and vast Taoist power could be felt. His Taoist power was affecting the Blood Spirit Emissary's evil energy.

Just by existing and chanting incantations, the power that the Blood Spirit Emissary had accumulated throughout his life was being scattered.

"No! Die!"

The Blood Spirit Emissary attacked the Taoist priest with a shout.

Despite the formidable evil energy bearing down on him, the Taoist priest, Sage Hyeon-so, was merely chanting incantations with his eyes half-closed.

An enormous amount of evil energy enveloped Sage Hyeon-so's entire body. Darkness came to Sage Hyeon-so as well. But Sage Hyeon-so paid no heed and said:

"Evil energy shall retreat."

Puhwahak!

At that moment, a formidable burst of light arose from his body. It was the pure Taoist power accumulated in his body being released.

"Kueu!"

The Blood Spirit Emissary staggered backward. The wind that had covered his body disappeared without a trace, revealing his true appearance.

His true form was that of an old man in his early fifties with a goatee.

'This man's Taoist power is dangerous! It can neutralize all the evil arts of our sect.'

The Blood Spirit Emissary instinctively realized that Sage Hyeon-so was his natural enemy. In front of someone with vast Taoist power like Sage Hyeon-so, all evil arts were virtually useless.

The Blood Spirit Emissary decided to withdraw his evil arts and kill Sage Hyeon-so with martial arts.

"Chaat! Bone-Crushing Soul-Consuming Palm."

Just as he was about to unleash his secret palm technique…

"Not so fast."

Myung Kyung appeared, breaking through the darkness. The Azure Unyielding Sword in his hand emitted a cold light.

The ultimate move of the Plum Blossom Nine Swords, Overflowing Sword Sea, was unleashed. A silver light flashed past the Blood Spirit Emissary.

"Keuyk!"

With a soft groan, the Blood Spirit Emissary retreated.

Where he had been standing, an arm severed from the shoulder had fallen.

"Mount Hua Sect! I won't forget this humiliation."

The Blood Spirit Emissary clutched his severed left shoulder and leaped backward. Wind came and enveloped his body, and in an instant, he disappeared from the sight of the two.

"Do you think I'll let you escape?"

Myung Kyung tried to pursue him.

"Stop, Myung Kyung."

Sage Hyeon-so restrained him.

"But Fourth Uncle?"

"He has already disappeared."

"What?"

"It's too late to chase after him. Let him go."

"Keuyk!"

Myung Kyung's face contorted at Sage Hyeon-so's words.

With Sage Hyeon-so's help, he had barely escaped from the Prison of Endless Darkness. The fact that he had struggled against mere evil arts made him feel humiliated.

"Fourth Uncle!"

"What's happening?"

The disciples of Mount Hua Sect, who had belatedly become aware of the intruder's presence, came running.

Sage Hyeon-so patted Myung Kyung's shoulder.

"There's no need to feel so ashamed. Whoever that person was, his evil arts were truly remarkable. Anyone would have fallen victim if not prepared in advance."

"The next time we meet, I won't be defeated so pathetically."

"That's the spirit!"

Sage Hyeon-so's gaze turned toward the direction where the Blood Spirit Emissary had disappeared. His evil energy had already vanished far away long ago.

"Infinite Buddha!"

He shook his head.

The tremendous evil energy gave him a headache. But he had to do what needed to be done.

He said to his disciples:

"Check if there's anything unusual at the Medicine King Hall."

"Yes!"

The disciples answered and rushed to the Medicine King Hall.

Once they were alone, Myung Kyung asked:

"It was truly tremendous evil energy. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"As you can see, I'm perfectly fine."

"That's a relief."

Myung Kyung let out a sigh of relief.

Except for Dam Ho, he was the strongest in Mount Hua Sect. When Dam Ho was absent, it was his duty to protect Mount Hua Sect.

"Where could he have come from? I've never heard of someone so proficient in evil arts."

"The Heavenly Evil Sect… Perhaps he was from the Heavenly Evil Sect."

"Heavenly Evil Sect?"

"Ho once told me. Long before the Demon Cult, there existed an organization called the Heavenly Evil Sect, and they were instigating conflicts between the Demon Cult and the martial world."

"The Heavenly Evil Sect…"

Myung Kyung sensed another bloody storm brewing in the martial world.

Jin Ja-gang didn’t rest for long.

Starting the very next day, he woke up before dawn, making Woon-jeong click his tongue.

Elder Bok-cheon clicked his tongue when he saw Woon-jeong, who was still half-asleep without realizing it.

“A fellow who’s crossed the threshold of death several times is acting like this, tsk.”

Woon-jeong rubbed his sleepy eyes and giggled foolishly.

Even Elder Bok-cheon couldn’t get more angry at Woon-jeong’s innocent laughter.

Seeing Elder Bok-cheon’s anger dissipate at Woon-jeong’s laughter, Jin Ja-gang suddenly realized something.

Sometimes a single laugh, rather than emotional complaints or logical excuses, could induce people to let their guard down.

Jin Ja-gang practiced smiling briefly while following Elder Bok-cheon up the back mountain.

Woon-jeong, who was walking while dozing, saw Jin Ja-gang and was startled.

“Oh my, what a shock!”

“Yes?”

“Why are you suddenly looking at me like you’re going to kill me? What did I do wrong to Brother Poison Dragon?”

“No. I was just trying to smile.”

“Brother Poison Dragon sometimes smiles like that when killing people.”

“…Did I do that?”

“That’s why I’m asking why you were trying to smile while looking at me. Please don’t smile like that just any time. It’s scary.”

Woon-jeong showed the goosebumps on her arms.

“I’m sorry.”

There was a reason Tang Ha-ran had once said Jin Ja-gang looked good when he smiled. It wasn’t easy to force a smile when it wasn’t natural laughter.

“Haha…”

“That’s much better when you smile like that.”

Elder Bok-cheon, who had been walking ahead, looked back.

Come to think of it, Jin Ja-gang lacked the innocent appearance that Woon-jeong had, which made him seem less human.

Perhaps it was too much to ask such things from someone who lived to survive.

* * *

Elder Bok-cheon still had an unhealed hole in his lung and breathed wheezily. However, he showed no signs of weakness during the climb to the mountain peak.

“Try energy circulation breathing.”

It was Woon-jeong who objected to Elder Bok-cheon’s words.

“Again?”

Elder Bok-cheon glared.

“Haven’t I always said it! I told you basics are most important!”

“My fellow disciples said I have the best posture for breathing techniques, but Master scolds me every time.”

“Am I your peer?”

“No…”

Elder Bok-cheon gestured to Jin Ja-gang with his eyes. It meant to try it.

Jin Ja-gang silently prepared for energy circulation breathing. It wasn’t cross-legged sitting but rather a slightly crouched position due to uncomfortable legs.

Woon-jeong pointed out.

“Master, Brother Poison Dragon’s leg posture is wrong.”

“…”

“Master, Brother Poison Dragon’s breathing method is wrong.”

But Elder Bok-cheon didn’t scold Woon-jeong for his observations.

“How is it wrong?”

“First, his posture is too unstable so he can’t breathe in properly, and his breathing is too big and rough at once. Breathing should be long and thin without interruption.”

“Right. But that’s not wrong. It’s just a different method.”

Elder Bok-cheon asked Jin Ja-gang.

“Have you ever learned properly?”

Jin Ja-gang answered.

“When I was young, I learned basic breathing techniques at Hundred Flowers Valley Curve.”

“But why aren’t you doing what you learned then?”

“I became like this without realizing it.”

“Let me tell you exactly. That’s not a breathing method for accumulating internal energy in the dantian through breathing techniques, but already close to Celestial Cycle Fire Regulation.”

Woon-jeong added explanation to Elder Bok-cheon’s words.

“Breathing method is the process of storing nature’s energy in the dantian through breathing, and Celestial Cycle Fire Regulation refers to the body warming up during energy accumulation or before practice!”

“Since you don’t do breathing methods and have no energy accumulation, yet show signs of regulation, it’s because you either can’t store internal energy in your dantian or have already stored internal energy in a different way. You’re doing breathing that instantly triggers the internal energy stored in your body through large amounts of breathing.”

Elder Bok-cheon accurately grasped Jin Ja-gang’s condition.

Jin Ja-gang honestly agreed.

“For eight years trapped in mine tunnels, I practiced breathing and energy circulation countless times, but it didn’t work properly. So I haven’t done the commonly called thin and long, deep and even breathing for a long time.”

“Energy moves through intention and is controlled through breathing. If you neglect breathing methods just because you can’t accumulate internal energy through normal methods, you won’t be able to handle energy effectively.”

Elder Bok-cheon continued.

“Unable to control internal energy, your internal energy runs wild, and you’re even doing breathing that encourages running wild, so your body gets damaged. The reason your body’s blood vessels burst due to damaged meridians is for this reason. If you do correct breathing, even when drawing out maximum internal energy, internal order will be maintained and your body will be less damaged.”

“I understand.”

Jin Ja-gang breathed again in his slightly crouched posture. Jin Ja-gang seemed to instantly fall into a trance-like state. It was tremendous concentration.

But suddenly something flew and hit Jin Ja-gang’s shoulder. No, even before it touched his shoulder, Jin Ja-gang twisted his body and rolled on the ground.

Thwack!

The tree branch Elder Bok-cheon swung down couldn’t hit Jin Ja-gang and struck the ground.

Elder Bok-cheon waved the branch as if he expected this, saying.

“The posture doesn’t have to be proper sitting. But can correct breathing come out when you’re always ready to leap out?”

Jin Ja-gang’s unstable posture was a stance to move immediately whenever he felt threatened.

“I’m standing guard. Put your mind at ease. Right now, no one can harm you.”

Jin Ja-gang couldn’t answer immediately. Woon-jeong stood up from her spot.

“If you really don’t trust Master, I’ll also stand guard…”

Smack!

“You sit.”

“Yes…”

Woon-jeong got hit on the head once and immediately sat down in lotus position.

Jin Ja-gang thought for a moment, then closed his eyes, relaxed his body more, and focused on breathing.

After a while, Jin Ja-gang suddenly flinched and tried to move his body.

It was because a single leaf blown by the wind had passed right in front of his nose.

“It was a leaf that flew from far away. Don’t try to sense only what’s right nearby, but spread your senses far while breathing. This is called escaping shadows to view forests. Leave the shade of trees and see the forest. You are part of great nature. Just let everything around you flow by. There’s no need to be wary of things that won’t harm you. However, if you don’t release your wariness, the internal energy within you will harm you.”

Elder Bok-cheon continued.

“If there are times to be tense, there must also be times to let go. If there are times to pull, there must be times to push. Or there are times when you must do nothing at all.”

Jin Ja-gang recalled Woon-jeong’s carefree laughter. A single laugh that was nothing had dissolved tension.

Escaping shadows to view forests.

The theme Elder Bok-cheon threw out struck Jin Ja-gang’s heartstrings with shock.

The current Jin Ja-gang had been running only for revenge right before his eyes. But now the time had come to see further into the future and complete his revenge. To do that, his field of vision needed to broaden first, and he needed to have a relaxed appearance befitting that.

That was exactly escaping shadows to view forests.

But even so, it took Jin Ja-gang a full five more days to completely relax his mind and focus only on breathing.

* * *

As his breathing method settled in place, Jin Ja-gang grew remarkably fast. He was in a state where he already had everything he needed but couldn’t move forward because he couldn’t refine it delicately.

As his breathing was refined, order gradually established in his body as Elder Bok-cheon said. He gained the power to control internal energy rampage even in situations where he drew up internal energy to extreme heights.

As he overcame the limits his body could endure and his threshold increased, Jin Ja-gang’s vessel became more solid and broader. Since his body wouldn’t be damaged even when drawing internal energy to the maximum, he gained leisure in his own energy practice.

Jin Ja-gang realized he was becoming stronger through breathing methods alone. It was much more effective than constantly training and pushing his body to the limit through whipping himself.

It was truly amazing to be able to overcome the wall blocking his path without such pain.

“To escape from a well, you need not only the strength to climb up the well but also the heart to accept the world outside the well. You had the strength but lacked mental leisure, so you didn’t know how much you had grown. Only now have you escaped shadows to view forests and left the tree shade.”

Elder Bok-cheon spoke bluntly without showing it, but he was proud of Jin Ja-gang, and Woon-jeong couldn’t help being amazed at Jin Ja-gang’s changing appearance every time she woke up.

* * *

Though Jin Ja-gang couldn’t accumulate internal energy through breathing methods, he achieved considerable accomplishment by learning proper breathing methods.

He was already approaching the Fifth Light. Jin Ja-gang could tell that he would be able to surpass the Fourth Light before long.

However, even if he gained the power of the Fifth Light, it would still not be easy to fight against masters approaching transcendent levels.

According to Woon-jeong, orthodox martial learning must be sustained throughout one’s lifetime and its effects appear late. No matter how much he tried not to be impatient, he couldn’t spend decades on revenge.

Ultimately, unless he obtained some fortune, Jin Ja-gang would have to face them by filling the lacking parts with his poison.

Jin Ja-gang had turbid energy accumulated in his body. The turbid energy in his left half-body was created by the concentration of numerous poisons, with considerable quantity and formidable power.

Even the immortal-like Mount Emei’s Non-Killing Sword Myowol, who couldn’t be defeated even when Woon-jeong and Dan Ryeong-gyeong combined forces, became powerless when hit by turbid energy poison, and even Baek Li-jung, who had defeated Venerable Woo-am, couldn’t easily escape the turbid energy poison.

But there was a drawback.

Because it was a mixture of essences of all kinds of poisons, the effects couldn’t be predicted.

Poison must spread through the body and cause poisoning before the opponent realizes it to achieve proper effects. This time he was lucky that the poison took effect immediately, but if minor symptoms appeared before fatal effects manifested, masters could respond immediately.

Even Baek Li-jung had contracted leg muscles to prevent poison needles from penetrating his energy channels, and Myowol had immediately stopped moving and blocked the poison’s spread with internal energy the moment she realized she was poisoned. Only Zhuge Son-gi was late because he thought he had blocked Jin Ja-gang’s poison needles and couldn’t respond immediately.

Poison must be used secretly, and for that, effects must be predictably certain. Only then can one penetrate the opponent’s carelessness and poison them.

Or be powerful enough that it doesn’t matter if the opponent notices the poisoning.

Finding that means was Jin Ja-gang’s concern.

Recently, while establishing proper breathing methods, Jin Ja-gang noticed new changes occurring in his body.

Beyond breathing methods, when he unconsciously moved to energy practice, he could feel the internal energy gradually becoming more pure and smooth.

Warmed through Celestial Cycle Fire Regulation, internal energy naturally circulated throughout the body through Water Rising Fire Descending, and even turbid energy participated and moved together. Then after energy practice ended, the right half-body’s internal energy would return to meridians and the left half-body’s turbid energy would return to its original place in the energy channels.

Through this, internal energy was partially consumed, the body filled with vitality, and impurities were expelled through sweat.

While the absolute amount of internal energy decreased, the original pure internal energy itself didn’t decrease. Rather, the purified internal energy flowed through energy channels quickly and stably, producing much stronger power.

Jin Ja-gang focused on this and decided to continuously practice energy circulation with the left side’s turbid energy. Through continuous energy practice, he filtered out and refined the impurities in the turbid energy.

Pure poison, and even purer poison than that, he continued improving it.

He also didn’t forget to wander the surrounding mountains and consume poisonous plants whenever he had spare time.

For Jin Ja-gang, who couldn’t accumulate internal energy through energy circulation breathing, poison intake through consumption was an important means of internal energy improvement.