The Mad Dog Inspector of the Martial Alliance

Chapter 58 : An Unreasonable Opportunity (2)

Internal energy is time. If one carefully practices breathing techniques and calmly observes oneself, anyone can achieve great success by investing time, as long as they don't have a disease like severed meridians.

But then, are there many masters of internal energy? If asked, the answer would be a firm no.

Why is that?

The reason lies in the breathing technique itself.

The process of taking in the energy of the great nature into the body is an adventure in itself, and even a slight crack in the mind can allow a heart demon to take root. If an external shock is applied, the qi meridians will be shaken and one will die. If perfect safety is not guaranteed, the probability of dying is high. How many places under the heavens can guarantee such stability?

Therefore, those who belong to clans, martial sects, or the imperial family, who have secured a safe place, can easily practice breathing techniques and train. But those in the lower classes, such as the Hao sect, beggars, and third-rate warriors, who cannot secure safety, have to risk their lives even to practice internal energy.

This was the reason why the lower the class, the lower the level of internal energy.

But even such a person could obtain peerless internal energy if the heavens helped.

A gift from the heavens, an elixir.

"But just because you have an elixir doesn't mean it's a panacea. If the vessel can't support it, you'll die all the same. You can't reverse your life with just one elixir."

Sima Hui, who was setting up a formation in Jang So-gil's tent, added with a reluctant expression.

"I don't even know when the assassin will come, and you're taking an elixir. I can only say that you're crazy to want to die..."

"As you know, Brother, there's no other chance but now."

"I know, I know. It will take some time for them to make the request and for the assassin to come, so if you're going to do it, it would be now."

"That's right."

"But still, time is tight. When you're pressed for time, problems arise in your mindset. It's not for nothing that the disciples of great sects do wall-gazing training. Maintaining a mind like a clear mirror in a situation where you don't know when an assassin will come is a very difficult thing. The probability of calling a heart demon is high."

"It's fine. I'm not a delicate person who would feel burdened by such a thing."

Sima Hui stared at Jang So-gil. It wasn't an empty statement. His pupils were unwavering, and his qi was calm. He felt no fear at all, as if he didn't know the word 'fear'. Was he gutsy, or was he used to this kind of thing?

"Alright. If you say so, I have no choice."

"Gwan and Ye-er will stand guard, so we don't need reinforcements. By the way, what's the formation you set up earlier?"

"It's called the Eight-Gate Golden Lock Formation, created by the Zhuge Clan and improved by the Sima Clan. It's a simplified version, so I can't say it's great, but it will be a comfort to the mind."

"That's enough."

"Good. Then before we begin, let me ask. How will you take in the true qi of the elixir?"

"What methods are there?"

"The method recommended by the Sima Clan is to slowly melt the true qi over a year to obtain both purity and profound internal energy. Considering the value of the elixir and your body, it's the best method."

Jang So-gil shook his head.

"That's an impossible method in the current situation. A year is too long."

"That's right. So there's the method of giving up purity and absorbing the true qi of the elixir with your whole body at once, just as ordinary people take elixirs."

"If I give up purity, isn't the one year of internal energy I've accumulated so far too much of a waste?"

"But that is the realistic and common method. You'll have to absorb it first and then slowly polish and refine the purity over decades."

Yang Gwan, who was preparing to stand guard, silently agreed.

Sima Hui was also implicitly urging him to choose this method.

But Jang So-gil shook his head once more.

"Brother, if I was going to do that, I wouldn't have called you."

"You, don't tell me..."

"I've also read the entire Sima Collection Record. Do you think I wouldn't know the third method?"

As their eyes met, Sima Hui swallowed a groan. Yang Gwan, sensing the unusual atmosphere, asked impatiently.

"Military Advisor, what is that third method Young Master So mentioned?"

"It's madness."

"What?"

"Utter madness."

What is an elixir? It's difficult and tricky to handle, but in essence, an elixir is a medicine. A medicine is an item made to treat the sick, the injured, and the diseased.

Medicine and poison are essentially two sides of the same coin, and their efficacy and function change depending on the strength of the effect. If you take a moderate amount of poison, it becomes medicine, and if you take too much medicine, it becomes poison.

The Sima Clan, seeing people die from Qi Deviation and shaken qi meridians caused by taking elixirs, came up with a different method.

"It's a simple matter."

Let's assume there is an elixir with the power of a hundred. The user has a vessel of thirty, so they absorbed thirty. But they couldn't absorb the remaining seventy.

If this leftover true qi of the elixir is returned to the great nature as it is, there will be no danger to one's life. But when one tries to forcefully put the seventy true qi into the vessel because it's a waste, the vessel breaks and the qi meridians tear.

"If the effect of the medicine is excessive and harms the body, what if one takes it with an already injured body?"

"Uh, wouldn't the elixir heal the wound?"

"That's right. If you intentionally rupture your qi meridians, destroy your muscles, and shake your blood, and then take the elixir, the leftover seventy true qi will be used to regenerate the ruptured qi meridians and destroyed muscles, and to control the blood. But that's not all. The human body is mysterious. If it is destroyed and regenerated, it will have a function superior to before."

After regenerating the wound, the true qi remains in the scar. Then isn't this no different from fully absorbing the true qi of the elixir?

"The ancestors of the Sima Clan thought so."

"It's suicide!"

Yang Gwan was terrified.

It was only natural. Rupturing one's qi meridians was already an act of risking one's life.

In a situation where one's life was hanging by a thread, one had to maintain a mind like a clear mirror and also overcome the heart demon.

"I dare say that no one can survive being subjected to such a thing. To make the qi meridians boil and destroy the muscles, isn't that ultimately Dividing Muscles and Dislocating Bones!"

Dividing Muscles and Dislocating Bones was a technique that vied for the top among tortures, and damaging the qi meridians was an especially vicious technique among them. Sima Hui's story meant practicing breathing techniques while being subjected to such torture.

"I agree that the success rate is low. But it's not a completely baseless story. If you look at the memoirs or autobiographies of the past Alliance Leaders, there are often cases where they fell off a cliff or a waterfall while fighting a strong enemy, wandered on the verge of death, and then took an elixir and underwent a complete transformation. I don't know if this is the realm of novels or the realm of exaggeration, but our ancestors were sure that a part of it was definitely true."

"With what confidence did they guarantee that?!"

"They tried it."

"What?"

"I said they tried it."

The possibility is not zero. A martial arts scholar is someone who will try if there is even a one-percent chance of success. The ancestors of the Sima Clan, after countless attempts and experiments, had definitely proven that it was not impossible.

"Forty people tried, but only one succeeded. He overcame the severed meridians passed down in the Sima Clan and at the same time, was able to obtain great internal energy. That damn fellow must have seen that record and is asking me to do it."

"That's right."

He was truly an arrogant fellow.

The success rate was extremely low. And yet, he was confident of success.

If there was even a little hesitation on his face, if there was even a fragment of fear, he had intended to refuse.

And yet, that shameless face, his anger welled up.

"Is your whole body a lump of guts? Do you know, if you fail, you die."

"I won't die."

"Confidence and arrogance are different things. Courage and recklessness are also different. What you're doing is arrogance and recklessness."

"I know. And yet, I think I won't die."

"Why?"

"Because the day is too good to die."

"You crazy bastard."

His ego was too big, way too big. Normally, he would have scowled and scolded him.

But right now, that big ego was actually a good thing.

Even in a situation where an assassin was aiming for him, he would not be dominated by impatience or fear, and there were few things as helpful as a big ego in enduring the crazy situation of intentionally inflicting serious injuries on one's own body.

"The Primordial Lord of Heaven and Buddha are too much. How did I get involved with a guy like this?"

"I'll be in your care, Brother."

"Tch. Don't blame me even if you die."

Letting out a long sigh, Sima Hui extended his hand.

Then Jang So-gil took off his clothes with a flourish.

"Why are you taking off your clothes?"

"You're going to rupture my qi meridians now. Then I'll be covered in blood, won't I? This is Shu brocade, Shu brocade."

"Is that important in this situation?"

"No, I'm saying it's Shu brocade."

"To be worrying about clothes in a life-or-death situation, this is a real crazy bastard."

"Of course, I have to wear them again."

"You're something else, really. A guy like you probably won't die. Even the King of Hell would send you back, saying he's sick of you."

Jang So-gil, who grinned, sat in the lotus position, and at the same time, Sima Hui's hand touched his back. Then, the blood vessels in his arms and back expanded as if thousands of earthworms were crawling. As they wriggled and waved, Yang Gwan's eyes widened, and Ye-er, as if she couldn't watch, turned her head.

"I've shaken and severed the qi meridians in your arms and back. This is just the beginning, can you endure it?"

Jang So-gil closed his eyes with a faint smile.

"You tough bastard."

Sima Hui raised his internal energy.

* * *

A plan of several decades was ruined in an instant.

After receiving the report from his subordinates, the head of the Dali Ye Clan, Duan Sijin, instead of venting his anger, asked his partner.

"What do you think we should do?"

"We must take revenge."

The remnant of the Yuan Dynasty, the descendant of the prime minister, Yelu Ze, said so and showed his right hand. Blood was flowing from the fist he had clenched in anger. It was no different for Duan Sijin. The trembling beard, the bloodshot eyes, and the flowing tears of blood showed this man's anger.

Yelu Ze beat his chest, suppressing the fire burning inside. Duan Sijin spoke with an intonation as if he was vomiting blood.

"Let's hire an assassin from an assassination den."

An assassination den was an organization that had accumulated great power and wealth with the single means of assassination. They would kill any enemy if you gave them money.

Of course, there were conditions. An assassination den was strictly passive. After receiving a commission, they did not do things like investigating the enemy to find out information. They just sent an assassin that perfectly matched the level of the payment given by the client. If the amount of money was small, they sent a weak assassin, and if a large amount of money was paid, they sent a strong assassin.

And there was one more condition here. A failed commission was never accepted again, even for a thousand gold.

This brought about an interesting result.

If a failed commission was never accepted again, what if one commissioned their own assassination?

If one paid a very small amount of money to have a low-level assassin sent, and repelled them themselves, wouldn't they not have to worry about the assassination den again?

Someone had naturally had this obvious thought, and the assassination den had publicly said this.

[If you're going to do that, just give us 500 taels and buy an exemption. Then we won't aim for you.]

Since 500 taels was the minimum amount to hire an assassin, it was a very rational matter. Thus, it became a trend for a time to buy an assassination den exemption for the children of clans, the children of high officials, and the rising stars of sects.

But this was also something the people of the Martial Alliance could not do. The Martial Alliance Leader Gumen Long, seeing the assassination den making a lot of money with just a few words like that without doing anything, and accumulating wealth to increase their power, had forbidden everyone under the Martial Alliance from giving money to the assassination den and buying an exemption.

Still, it seemed there were people who did it secretly.

"At least, it seems that fellow hasn't bought an exemption. So if we hire an assassin, we can kill him."

"I have no objection to hiring an assassin from an assassination den. But there's something we need to discuss first."

"What is it?"

"It's the commission fee."

Commission fee? Duan Sijin had a puzzled expression.

(End of Chapter)