Chapter 87 : Another Self (2)

Chapter 87: Another Self (2)

Yong Hwarin, seeing how much the Demonic Master was yielding, suddenly felt the urge to track the Middle-aged Demonic Master.

He wanted to understand the relationship between the two.

On top of that, he had obtained martial arts as a bonus, making it quite a profitable deal.

Yong Hwarin stood up from his seat and changed into a black martial arts uniform suitable for a night journey.

It was the martial arts uniform he had packed when he left his clan, but this was his first time wearing it.

That was because Yong Hwarin originally didn’t like the color black.

Yong Hwarin left the inn at dawn while the rest of the group was still asleep.

Then he ran toward the location the Demonic Master had told him about.

As he deployed Soaring Dragon Ascent using the Demonic Master’s internal energy, it truly felt like flying through the sky.

Because he was using movement arts under the moonlight, Yong Hwarin couldn’t clearly make out his surroundings.

He only knew that he was now running through a quiet area on the outskirts of the county.

After running for about an hour, he arrived at a manor.

Yong Hwarin stopped about 300 meters away and stared at the manor.

If someone like the Middle-aged Demonic Master was within, getting any closer might lead to being discovered.

‘I can’t scout from here... What should I do?’

The Demonic Master spoke in a calm tone.

‘From now on, I will teach you a mnemonic chant. It’s the most exquisite stealth technique I know. No one in the world will be able to notice you.’

‘Is it something that can be learned that easily?’

‘If you understand the principle, it can be learned in a moment. But if you don’t, even a lifetime won’t be enough.’

If it was a technique the Demonic Master boasted of, it was surely the finest of the age.

After all, it was the technique of Seok Jamyung, the Demonic Master renowned as the teacher of the demonic path.

‘Simply concealing your presence is a lower-tier stealth technique. Any expert beyond one cycle would easily notice that level of stealth. And stealth that can even hide your breathing is considered mid-tier. But even that becomes useless against those beyond two cycle. This is the reason why assassins, no matter how skilled they are, get discovered by absolute masters above two cycle.’

Yong Hwarin was listening intently, not daring to interrupt as the Demonic Master spoke of deep matters.

‘Advanced stealth techniques involve harmonizing with the surroundings. But while it may sound simple, it is a realm that cannot be easily attained. However, if you grasp the principle, it is not that difficult.’

Yong Hwarin gradually became more engrossed in the Demonic Master’s words.

‘All things possess their own unique qi. Yet ordinary people cannot sense the qi of objects. Even a first-rate expert finds it difficult. That’s because inanimate objects emit extremely faint qi. If you take in that faint qi with your body, you can become one with the object.’

‘If I just know the method, I could harmonize with objects... So how do I absorb the qi of objects?’

Yong Hwarin couldn’t resist and asked a question.

‘See, that question already shows you’re on the wrong track. That’s why you can’t perform high-level stealth. Do you think absorbing the qi would turn your body into stone, into a wall, into soil?’

‘No, of course not.’

‘You don’t absorb the qi of objects. You let it flow through you. Only then can you truly harmonize with the object.’

‘Ah!’

Yong Hwarin felt like he was starting to grasp something from those words.

But he still hadn’t come close to understanding the essence.

‘Why do masters sense the presence of humans so easily?’

‘Is it not because of human vitality?’

‘Correct. Humans are alive, and thus they don’t emit dead qi, but living qi. If such a person hides behind a wall or on a roof, do you think a master wouldn’t notice? All objects are dead. So if a living qi is suddenly emitted among them, wouldn’t it naturally be easy to detect?’

‘That makes perfect sense.’

‘Don’t interrupt me.’

'Yes.'

'The reason why the Turtle Breath Technique is considered the most superior stealth technique in existence is because it truly matches the breathing of a turtle. A turtle can endure an entire 15 minutes on a single breath. It slows down the flow of the body’s biology to such an extent that one no longer feels like a living being.'

'Then are we going to use the Turtle Breath Technique?'

'Don’t interrupt! What I’m about to teach you is not some petty technique like the Turtle Breath Technique. Even that can be detected by a Master Level expert. It’s just that it won’t be discovered beyond ten jang. But the method I will teach you is of a completely different caliber. If you draw in the energy of objects through the laogong points in both palms and the two yongcheon points, and then release it through your mouth, then no expert will be able to sense your vitality.'

'It sounds like a simple method.'

'Hmph, everyone thinks that way. But this method can only be performed by someone with the strength of two cycle, so it’s not something just anyone can do.'

'Ah, I need to allocate half a cycle into each laogong point, and another half into each yongcheon point.'

The Demonic Master let out a snort at Yong Hwarin’s quick understanding.

'Correct. If you release your internal energy outward, then draw in the energy of objects, guide it to your dantian and exhale it through your mouth, then no matter how high the opponent’s true energy is, even if you're right next to them, they won’t be able to detect it.'

It was a method that could not be performed without at least the energy of two cycle and knowledge of this technique.

'But there’s a problem.'

'What is it?'

'Using more than one and a half cycle of your energy causes intense pain. I’m not sure I can endure it. I barely managed when I fought the Blood Demon recently, but I can’t say the same for now. I feel like I’ll groan without meaning to.'

'Didn’t I tell you before? Your body can barely withstand the internal energy of one cycle. The fact that you survived using over two cycle’s worth of power was nothing short of a miracle. From what I see, the spiritual medicine you’ve taken since childhood must’ve been protecting your blood channels. But that too has reached its limit. The fact that your pain has worsened means even that protection is now gone.'

As he spoke, the Demonic Master realized Yong Hwarin might fall into qi deviation from overusing two cycle of power.

'There’s one solution.'

'What is it?'

'For now, just use about one cycle’s worth to absorb the object’s energy through the laogong points. That alone should keep that man from detecting your presence.'

'Understood. But if I want to use all three cycle’s worth of power, what must I do?'

'As the amount of true energy accumulated in the dantian increases, the blood vessels of the body naturally widen. Do you think circulation of qi is only for accumulating energy? You do small heavenly cycle and great heavenly cycle day and night, yet you don’t know why?'

'Isn’t it for energy accumulation? Through the cycles, you absorb energy from the air and store it within your body, right?'

'That’s the incomplete half of qi circulation. One reason we do the small and great cycles is also to continuously widen the blood channels using your true energy. The more energy you accumulate, the more you must circulate qi to strengthen and expand your acupoint pathways. That’s why diligent qi circulation is necessary. Just because your dantian suddenly gained one cycle of energy from spiritual medicine, do you think you can use all of it right away? There’s a limit to how much energy can pass through your meridians. If you try to use it all at once and fail to handle the surplus, your blood vessels will burst, and you’ll fall into qi deviation.'

The Demonic Master was sharing martial principles that could not be learned from anyone else.

He was a martial artist who had mastered both the demonic path’s martial arts and the orthodox styles, making him more knowledgeable in martial arts than anyone else.

'But we don’t have time to leisurely discuss martial principles. We must scout that manor, so let’s move to the roof where it’s easiest to hide your vitality.'

As Yong Hwarin climbed to the roof, the Demonic Master quickly said,

'Now, perform the stealth technique I just taught you.'

Yong Hwarin absorbed the energy from the roof tiles through the laogong points.

With one cycle of power split between his hands, he drew in the energy of the tiles into his body.

This stealth technique taught that everything possesses unique qi, and if one can perceive it, one can harmonize with that object.

'By the way, what is the name of this stealth technique?'

'It doesn’t have a name.'

'Then I’ll give it one.'

Yong Hwarin named the stealth technique in association with his clan’s martial arts.

'How about Calling it Dragon Concealment Heavenly Art?'

'You bastard! Don’t act like it’s your own martial art!'

'Hehe, Elder, if it has no name, that means you got it from somewhere else, doesn’t it? So the one who names it becomes its owner.'

When you looked closely, Yong Hwarin seemed like he had dozens of old snakes hiding in his belly.

'Ugh... I’ve now taught you one martial art. That’s one out of five. Four remain.'

Yong Hwarin was caught off guard by the old man’s move.

'As expected, old ginger is still spicy.'

'I can hear all your thoughts, you rascal.'

'Ah...'

Yong Hwarin chuckled awkwardly.

He had momentarily forgotten that he was communicating with the Demonic Master through thoughts.

While his upper dantian remained open, the Demonic Master could read all his thoughts.

Only by closing his upper dantian could he prevent the Demonic Master from hearing his thoughts.

A moment later, a faint, foreign energy began to flow into his body through the tiles, and Yong Hwarin exhaled it through his breath.

'At this level, your vitality shouldn’t be detected. At least not by someone at my current level. Now place your ear to the tile.'

Following the Demonic Master’s words, Yong Hwarin put his ear to the tile, and as if telepathy had activated, he began to hear the conversation taking place inside the manor.

That telepathy was made possible through the Demonic Master’s ability.

All of this was possible because the Demonic Master’s soul was parasitically residing in his upper dantian.

“No matter what, how could you go after him with no plan at all!”

The voice echoing from inside the manor’s room was one filled with anger.

‘It’s the voice of the Middle-aged Demonic Master.’

‘Yes, that’s my voice.’

Even as Yong Hwarin conversed with the Demonic Master in his head, the conversation inside the room continued.

“Hmph! How was I supposed to know we’d run into those Shaolin monks there?”

“If I hadn’t happened to arrive at the right time, you wouldn’t have survived that spot.”

The Middle-aged Demonic Master spoke almost in rebuke.

“I never expected that young brat to kill the Blood Demon!”

“Now even the Reverend Arhats and the Three Chivalrous Sisters are getting involved, and it’s become a noisy mess. We need to take action quickly so the news doesn’t spread.”

“We can eliminate the Three Chivalrous Sisters with our own hands, but the Reverend Arhats are the real problem. I’m confident I can win against one of them. Against two, it’s a draw. But if there are three, it’s a guaranteed defeat.”

“I never imagined they’d pursue us all the way here.”

“Do you think the Shaolin Temple became the Shaolin Temple for nothing? How could you handle things so poorly?”

The Middle-aged Demonic Master continued to scold Deung Hwaun.

“It’s not like I wanted to be exposed. It was Black Kill Sword who made a mistake and got discovered. What do you expect me to do?”

“I’m asking why you killed Ji Hyeon of Imyeong County and displayed her body. Isn’t that what made the Reverend Arhats latch onto our trail?”

“That wasn’t me. I only tortured the guy to retrieve the divine item. The one who killed Ji Hyeon and displayed her was a subordinate of the Blood Demon.”

“Fortunately, we recovered the divine item that the Blood Demon had. If we hadn’t, I would never have forgiven you.”

Seeing the murderous aura radiating from the Demonic Master, Deung Hwaun flinched. She already knew this man was more than capable of killing her.

“Where is the divine item?”

After a brief hesitation, Deung Hwaun took something out from her garments.