“Looks like someone is watching us from a distance.”
Poison Doctor, Miss Yeo Il-ye, Black Cat, and Maki, all five of us left Hyeong Gwi-san. Our destination was the inn where Yeo Il-ye had stayed for a while.
It was only after we unpacked at the inn that I finally felt a sense of freedom.
Poison Doctor rented the barn of the inn and started the renovations, while Maki was naturally chosen as the errand boy for the project.
Yeo Il-ye left, claiming she was investigating the movements of the bandits.
Our group was focused on our respective tasks. Even I, who had received a clean bill of health from Poison Doctor, began preparing for my energy cultivation.
Just as I was stretching out in the yard and getting into position to start my energy work…
“Senpai.”
“What? If you’re not busy, can’t it wait a bit?”
“It’s important. We’ve finally got some time alone.”
Black Cat was holding a bundle of papers.
“Senpai, remember how I asked you to look into your bloodline? While you were with the Tang Clan, I focused on that.”
My mind, which had been focused on energy work, snapped back to attention. So, that’s what she had been doing instead of following me to the Tang Clan.
“I’ve investigated a bit about you, and… it appears your last trace is near Cheonghae’s Yeongwhisan. In other words, there’s no trace of you before the age of 15 when you lost your memory.”
“Hmm…”
“It makes more sense that you lived in a hidden place for 15 years rather than living without a trace for that long. Hence, I began examining extraordinary individuals who may have passed by near Yeongwhisan about 15 to 20 years ago.”
Black Cat waved the papers around.
“This information I got today lists those who have passed by Yeongwhisan in the last 20 years. Of course, I didn’t include just anyone… only those who could possibly discover or create a hidden place in Yeongwhisan. It took some time to organize, but I had requested this data to be sorted out when I joined you, and it has finally arrived.”
“Uhm… there are too many.”
The documents Black Cat handed over contained the names of hundreds of people. While some were names I might recognize, the vast majority were unfamiliar to me.
The Martial World typically starts with a 15-year-old protagonist.
In other words, those listed were people from 20 years ago, and unless they were top experts who could live for 20 to 30 years, it would be tough to know them.
“Well, most of it is false information meant to hide the truth. They may have passed by, but many are insignificant individuals.”
Black Cat pulled out a brush from her sleeve and started crossing out names without hesitation.
“If you had a mother, she would have been absent for at least a year, right? She must have given birth to a child. Plus, someone would have had to take care of the child, so there would likely be people who were absent frequently or whose whereabouts were unknown for several years.”
“Or there are those who wandered around Yeongwhisan for no apparent reason or those whose trails vanished nearby. In sifting through these…”
About twenty names were narrowed down from the hundreds. As I scanned those names and the brief descriptions next to them, I couldn’t help but ask Black Cat.
“Is this… correct?”
“If you ask me, I can’t tell you anything beyond this. Honestly, I think there’s a higher chance that someone else is out there besides those I narrowed down. And my deductions might also be incorrect.”
Black Cat continued to explain.
“I can definitely tell you this: there are no traces of your activities before the age of 15. That’s why I conducted this investigation. If we can’t find your traces, then at least someone associated with you should leave a mark.”
“Hmm… So, that’s how you deduced I grew up in a hidden place?”
“Exactly. If you were born in a place no one knows about and spent your childhood there, then the absence of any trace for 15 years makes sense. A child needs guardians to grow up, so this investigation is to find that guardian.”
Black Cat pointed at the papers I was holding.
“You can’t discover anything beyond this with just information. To investigate your origin… you need to either uncover records of your activities before age 15 or directly seek out hidden places near Yeongwhisan.”
“Hmm.”
I understood what Black Cat was saying. Though I had requested an investigation into my origin, now it seemed I had to find hidden places to gain that information.
How many sects or clans have gone missing due to wandering into hidden realms?
This was clearly beyond the scope of my original request.
“Well, at least you’ve gone this far in your investigation. Thank you.”
“Umm. I’m sorry, Senpai. I’m not sure if I can consider this a completed request…”
“No, honestly, this level of investigation seems sufficient.”
At this stage, I had a hunch that knowing more could lead to undesirable consequences.
What have I been pondering for the last three days? Of course, I was tormented about which martial arts path I should take after becoming a top practitioner.
And because I was overwhelmed thinking about the martial arts path, I occasionally pondered about my bloodline.
Black Cat’s predictions made sense. My past might very well be hidden by someone. It could be anything from being an escaped experiment common in web novels to one of the boys raised as secret weapons by the Demon Sect.
The condition of my blood, as I heard from Poison Doctor, was something I couldn’t take lightly.
This isn’t just a simple past where “this Ho Cheon-an was so-and-so’s child!” but it feels like a complex incident is waiting ahead. It felt like digging into my past could quickly engulf me into a massive current.
While I’m curious about my past, that curiosity could be resolved after becoming stronger.
After all, this was an unpredictable scenario; I needed to be prepared for anything.
To put it bluntly, Iryu, who can’t escape any danger, may at least be able to utilize his speed effectively as a top practitioner.
“If that’s your wish, Senpai…”
Black Cat looked a bit pained for being unhelpful, but she also seemed curious about my bloodline. In the end, she decided to put her curiosity on hold, which left her feeling disappointed.
“That’s right! So, the best solution is to become stronger! I’ll watch over you, so give it your all!”
“Hmm.”
Black Cat’s information served as great motivation. Ultimately, in the Martial World, power matters above all else.
If I wanted to learn about my past and what blood is, I needed to grow stronger.
To do that, my first step was to master the top level.
Before Black Cat approached me, I had been filled with anxiety and impatience, but now I felt a appropriate tension that made it easy to concentrate.
Operating the Samwon Heart Method, I gradually focused on controlling my Qi.
What exactly is Qi?
Honestly, I didn’t quite know. It’s described as an energy source, but that feels like a forced explanation without depth.
Yet, what does contemplating essence mean?
If I can use it well, that’s all that matters.
Considering essence is just a waste of time. Thinking of unrelated things while working on solving a problem—let’s call that distraction.
What I needed to ponder was how to create Qi phenomena.
The definition of charging Qi ultimately comes down to the processing of Qi.
So what I need to figure out is how to process Qi. I decided to move my Qi. Following the teachings of the Samwon Heart Method, I observed the flow of Qi circulating through my meridians.
Let’s dig deeper. How should I define processing Qi? Strictly speaking, I was already processing Qi. The Samwon Heart Method has the properties of transforming natural Qi into internal energy with minimal processing.
Thus, Qi naturally tends to disperse, meaning that it being firmly held within my body indicates a form of processing on a natural level.
Given that, couldn’t Iryu also trigger Qi phenomena? While operating the internal energy methods, one should be able to convert Qi into internal energy.
For some reason, I felt like my approach might be flawed. Defining charging Qi as processing Qi seems wrong now. If I distinguish realms based on my assumption, there would be no need to classify the top level and the second level.
How many top practitioners are there in this Martial World? I’m not entirely sure, but throughout martial history, they must be as numerous as stars.
But out of all those thousands, a term that emerged from years of inquiry was that the threshold to distinguish the top level from the second level is called [charging Qi].
Charging Qi.
To charge.
Let’s narrow this down. The criterion that separates the peak from the top level is whether one emits Qi or not. The standard is so clear that it’s rather easy to understand. Maintaining the control of internal energy while emitting it beyond one’s body.
Both the second level and the top level can emit internal energy, but they simply lack control.
So ultimately, the top level is a realm that deals with internal energy strictly within one’s body.
Yes! I was starting to grasp it.
Both the second level and the top level can emit Qi externally. However, the reason the criterion to distinguish between the peak and the top level is charging Qi is that the top level cannot handle emitted internal energy while the peak can manage it.
So could I interpret that the reason for distinguishing between the second level and the top level lies in whether one can handle compressed Qi?
As I made that realization, several clues began to awaken. How had I missed this?
Poison Doctor mentioned that “there’s no room for Qi to condense in the meridians, hence charging Qi phenomena doesn’t occur.” So, then, the top level is a state that holds the ability to manipulate condensed Qi, right?
The flow of the Samwon Heart Method began to change. No, the technique itself remained the same, but my will behind it transformed.
Until now, I had just let the Samwon Heart Method flow. I had been allowing it to trickle through me like water filling a canal. But now, I began to take control of that flow. With the intention of filling my meridians to the brim.
I strongly operated my internal energy according to the Samwon Heart Method, but whether it was the Great Master’s canal or the Lesser Master’s, the results were the same. The flow of the technique only quickened or slowed. Despite that, I still couldn’t feel Qi filling my meridians at all.
Despair began creeping in. The flow of Qi never truly cuts off. Perhaps one day, when I reach the pinnacle, I may be able to sever that flow, but right now, I couldn’t envision cutting off this flowing essence.
The excessive strain on my mental strength and disappointment made me exhale as I observed my internal energy circulating through my body.
I had achieved a one-step increase in my internal energy, something that hadn’t changed in seven years. Just one unit has changed, but it felt significant in its own way.
Suddenly, the thought flashed through my mind—wasn’t my internal energy too low? But that couldn’t be right.
Even those with internal energy below 10 can reach the top level; I was overthinking this.
Individuals with 5 or 6 of internal energy could reach the top level; why couldn’t I?
But could it really be possible to fill the meridians with just 5 units of internal energy?
Even with 10 units, it seemed hopeless…
Fill…?
No, that wasn’t it. It wasn’t about filling…
Suddenly, it felt like I was entranced; I began operating the internal energy of the Samwon Heart Method. My initial concept had been wrong. How could I suspect that I could interfere with the flowing Qi?
Could this be what it means to [grasp the essence of martial arts]?
It was but a fleeting thought, yet I became enveloped in some sort of certainty. My instincts seemed to be repeatedly hitting the green light.
My target was my right forearm. Or rather, to be more specific, the Heobae blood point on my upper right arm.
I began grasping the internal energy confronting the Heobae point. At the same time, I pushed in the incoming energy!
I deliberately caused a bottleneck phenomenon!
Slowing down the Qi exiting the Heobae point while making the incoming Qi velocity faster. Gradually, internal energy began to fill the Heobae point. 70%… 80%… I had been running my Qi for so long that my mental energy was running low, but I squeezed out every last bit of strength to keep holding and pushing that energy.
Then finally.
In a moment, the Qi flooded the Heobae point. Yet, I didn’t stop there. 100%! No, surpassing that, as I pushed 110%, then 120%!
The energy filled to the brim at Heobae spilled over, pouring into my forearm!
The refreshing sensation of energy overflowing my right arm. Without needing anyone to explain, I instinctively understood. My right arm, affected directly by the energy, was momentarily exceeding my physical strength!
Artificially surpassed energy supply beyond the natural one!
Suddenly, Poison Doctor’s words echoed in my mind. Hadn’t he mentioned that the meridians didn’t even exist?
Now, I finally understood.
The meridians existed only in my mind. So when the internal energy filled more than 100%, it could seep into my muscles and bones without issue. Because it wasn’t a real canal. It was merely a pathway I had virtually set up to manage my Qi.
Once I crossed that threshold without bursting, the energy smoothly spread throughout my body.
I let out a chuckle.
As I released my control, the internal energy flowed gracefully through the Samwon Heart Method. I started to understand why high-level martial artists often speak in vague terms.
What on earth should I call this paradoxical flow of Qi? Even I would find myself blabbering out nonsense!
When I paused my Qi work and opened my eyes, an old system message greeted me.
[Congratulations! You have reached the top level!]
[Martial arts that require charging Qi are now available for use.]
[[Tiger Claw Fist] has been activated.]
Most importantly, the proof that I had successfully reached the top level appeared right before my eyes.
“Ahhhhh!!! I did it!!!”
I joyfully rolled on the ground, celebrating the achievement I hadn’t attained in seven long years.
