The Mad Dog Inspector of the Martial Alliance

Chapter 60 : An Unreasonable Opportunity (4)

Qi pulses through the qi meridians. The true qi of the Fierce Bull Live Bezoar Pill, a second-grade elixir rare in the world, is immense. Sima Hui suppressed and guided that immense true qi and skillfully destroyed Jang So-gil's qi meridians. Like a skilled trainer taming a wild horse, his beautiful hand movements spread out in a circle, starting from the Baihui acupoint. The qi meridians burst in succession, and Jang So-gil's body emitted heat, turning a jujube-red color.

Flowing blood, sweat, and tears.

Originally, to fully absorb the true qi of an elixir, one had to block the qi meridians and guide the internal energy to be completely accumulated in the lower dantian. When the true qi filled the lower dantian, that was completion.

But now it was the opposite. If the internal energy entered the dantian, Jang So-gil's weak vessel would break, and he would eventually die. Therefore, he had to block the path to the dantian and guide the true qi to pass only through the qi meridians.

The weak and delicate qi meridians broke without fail every time the true qi touched them. When the black wave of the immense true qi covered Jang So-gil's body, all of his qi meridians were destroyed, and sticky filth slowly seeped out of his pores. Although Gumen Long had personally performed a body transformation on him, there were residues that had not been completely cleansed and the accumulated toxins since then, and all of that was now coming out.

'The amount of filth is less than expected. Is it about one-tenth? As expected of the Alliance Leader, he did a good job of this body transformation even without an elixir.'

The black wave that had circulated once around Jang So-gil's body returned to the Baihui acupoint, changed its color to a white wave, and circulated once more. Then the broken qi meridians healed quickly. Because they were thin qi meridians, the recovery speed was actually faster. The qi meridians, which had been torn and then healed and reconnected, became twice as strong as before.

'But even so, it's still much thinner than others. Because they were originally thread-like qi meridians.'

After regeneration, the wave of black true qi once again covered Jang So-gil's body. As the qi meridians became stronger, the pain of destruction was greater than the previous black wave. His skin turned bright red as if iron was being hammered in a blacksmith's shop. It was actually emitting an enormous amount of heat.

If it weren't for the White Azure Divine Sword placed on Jang So-gil's lap, who was sitting in the lotus position, the tent would have caught fire. Jang So-gil might have physically burned to death.

His blood and sweat vaporized and rose like smoke. Ye-er and Yang Gwan's eyebrows twitched at the foul smell, but no one ventilated the tent. It was because they didn't want to be exposed if there was an assassin. The two of them, on the contrary, became even more vigilant and focused on their duty of standing guard.

A good mindset. Sima Hui glanced at the two of them and then observed Jang So-gil's condition.

'There's no tough bastard like this tough bastard. To not even open his mouth after all this, what kind of mental strength is this?'

If he had complained of pain or vomited blood and opened his mouth even once, the breathing technique would have ended there.

Because the mouth is the source of misfortune, the mouth is an entrance and at the same time an exit. If his mouth had opened even a little, the true qi would have escaped.

But Jang So-gil endured it. It was an inhuman willpower.

The admiration was brief. The wave of white true qi rushed in.

The cool and refreshing true qi cooled his heated body and regenerated his qi meridians.

By this point, Jang So-gil could also understand. One destruction, one regeneration.

Just as morning comes when the sun rises and night comes when the sun sets, destruction and regeneration alternated.

Black was destruction, white was regeneration.

How many times would this be repeated?

As if answering the question, Sima Hui said in a low voice.

"Twelve times. The true qi must circulate twelve times."

There are a total of three hundred and seventy-five acupoints in the human body. Excluding the ten fatal acupoints, there are three hundred and sixty-five.

There are a total of twelve meridians in the human body. To open all those acupoints and meridians and arrange the qi meridians and fine meridians, twelve circulations are needed.

Only two circulations had just ended.

"The pain will gradually increase. If you want to stop, breathe through your mouth at the moment a circulation ends."

He had warned him, but he wasn't the type to stop.

Sima Hui judged so, and in reality, Jang So-gil was that kind of person.

Three circulations, four circulations, five circulations.

With each circulation completed, the amount of flowing blood and sweat gradually increased. The thick fog now filled the tent, making it impossible to see an inch ahead.

Jang So-gil's pain continued to grow. As the qi meridians became stronger, the pain of destruction increased. And as they became stronger, the regeneration was slower, so the pain spread for a long time. As time passed, the pain was bound to double.

Even while wandering on the verge of death several times, the number of circulations increased.

Six circulations, seven circulations, eight circulations.

It started in the morning, became night, and the sun rose again. A day had long since passed. It was thanks to Jang So-gil enduring so well. The two who were standing guard, abstaining from food and drink, and Sima Hui who was performing the procedure were also feeling pain. But it was nothing compared to Jang So-gil. He was now enduring with a body that was nothing but bones, and Yang Gwan was on the verge of tears just by looking at him.

Thus, after everyone had passed a painful time, on the twelfth circulation.

An anomaly occurred.

Jang So-gil's body, which had been sitting in the lotus position, floated up, and as if protecting him, the White Azure Divine Sword also floated up leisurely and rotated around his body.

"...!"

Could it be the legendary 'Five Qis Return to the Origin, Three Flowers Gather at the Summit'?

Yang Gwan's eyes shot open. But Sima Hui shook his head.

"With this fellow's martial arts level, is 'Five Qis Return to the Origin' and 'Three Flowers Gather at the Summit' even a thing? This just means that the true qi of the other elixirs he has been steadily eating so far has melted into the function of the Fierce Bull Live Bezoar Pill and is being absorbed at once. Because the vessel of his lower dantian has grown, it's all rushing in at once and becoming internal energy."

"Then..."

"Yes. He succeeded. This crazy bastard endured it."

He had passed all the gates. At this rate, he would have to add one more person to the Sima Collection Record.

Sima Hui let his tired body go as it was. For over a day, he had been squeezing out his internal energy and wrestling with the Fierce Bull Live Bezoar Pill. He felt as if he had just completed a tour of the martial world barefoot.

As he sat in the lotus position and readjusted, Yang Gwan asked back.

"Then what will happen to Young Master So's internal energy now?"

"It depends on how he finishes it, but since the White Azure Divine Sword is helping with the finishing, he won't fail..."

Sima Hui smiled faintly.

"It will be at least one sixty-year cycle."

* * *

"This is all for the sake of eating and living, shouldn't you be a little more careful when hiring a cook? Cook Heo does a better job."

For a person who had just come back from a near-death experience, it was a rather nonchalant thing to say first.

Jang So-gil, while complaining about the food, held a chicken leg in each hand and tore into it without hesitation.

The more he ate, the better his body became. He had been so emaciated that he looked like a beggar who had starved for ten years, but after finishing five whole chickens in one go, he became the healthiest person among them.

His skin was as fair as a baby's, and his face was shiny, looking as if he had rested soundly for three months and ten days.

"Somehow, it's unfair."

The tired-looking Ye-er pouted her lips and moved her hands diligently as if not to lose. Yang Gwan was also eating so as not to be outdone, but he had no appetite. The smell of So's burning flesh, blood, sweat, and filth still lingered at the tip of his nose. For him to have an appetite even after this, the kid named Ye-er seemed like a monster instead. Still, he had to eat to live, so he was pecking at his food.

Only Sima Hui's hands had stopped. No matter how you looked at it, he looked like the sickest person among them.

"Won't you have some too, Brother?"

"I'm fine."

"I understand that you're tired after releasing your internal energy for over a day, but that's all the more reason you should eat. Hurry up and finish one chicken. Isn't it all medicinal?"

Since it was a whole chicken soup with a generous amount of 10th-grade elixir, Goryeo red ginseng, it was also a medicinal food. He had no appetite, but he had to eat to live. Jang So-gil said with a smile.

"It's a big problem that you have such a weak stomach, as befitting a child of a prestigious clan, Brother. What's wrong with the smell? I could eat even in a mud pit. Hahaha."

"You damn... Who do you think I went through this hell for-!"

"Mmm, mmm. Then shall I feed you?"

"What?"

"Just as you helped me this time, I'm saying I'll put the chicken in your mouth piece by piece."

"...I'm fine."

"You don't want to?"

"Would you like it?"

Jang So-gil had a quirk of wanting to do something especially when someone said they didn't like it. It could be called a disease. Since he disliked it so much, shouldn't he definitely do it?

He tore off a piece of chicken breast with his chopsticks and approached Sima Hui. Sima Hui got up in terror.

"What is it!?"

"I'm going to feed you. It's a sign of my gratitude, so you don't have to refuse."

"..."

The difference in martial arts level between Jang So-gil and Sima Hui was like heaven and earth, so normally, he would be no match. But the current Sima Hui was in a state where his internal energy was completely discharged from taking care of Jang So-gil for over a day. On the contrary, Jang So-gil was in the best condition of his life because he had absorbed all the true qi of the elixirs he had eaten so far and the Fierce Bull Live Bezoar Pill with the help of the White Azure Divine Sword's function. Now, he could probably put up a fight.

"Ah, say ah. Ah."

"Do you really think you'll be safe after doing this?"

"If you had eaten earlier, I wouldn't be doing this. Think about it. If you were to suddenly pass away after suffering because of me, how sorry and sad would I be? I'm trying to manage your nutrition to prevent such a situation, but it's upsetting if you're so on edge. Ah, I said say ah. Ah. Big."

"If you want to see me die of a stroke, keep doing that."

"They say a ghost that died after eating looks better, so I'll feed you first..."

"I'll eat on my own!"

"Hey, you're not eating."

"I will eat! Get lost!"

Sima Hui shouted and ate his food. Then who should he feed this chicken breast to? He glanced at Yang Gwan, and Yang Gwan quickly came to his senses and continued his meal with the momentum to bury his face in his bowl. He clicked his tongue and turned his head, and Ye-er was already next to him. A sound of 'aaang-' was heard, and her mouth opened wide. Ye-er, who had eaten the chicken breast Jang So-gil had picked up in one bite, closed her eyes and opened her mouth again.

"More."

"More?"

"More."

"Alright."

It feels like feeding a goldfish. Is this what a mother bird feels like?

Ye-er, for a small kid, ate well. She finished one chicken in an instant. Since she ate so well, it was quite fun to feed her.

As he was feeding her like that, Sima Hui asked.

"Your internal energy seems to be about one sixty-year cycle."

"Yes. Probably."

One sixty-year cycle of internal energy is the symbol of a peak master. He ate one elixir well and his one-year internal energy became one sixty-year cycle. It had increased sixty-fold in an instant. Was there another opportunity like this in the world? Although it was an opportunity created by force, an opportunity was an opportunity.

It was worth going through a near-death experience and risking his life. It would be a lie to say he wasn't in a good mood.

But just because his internal energy had increased didn't mean everything would be solved on its own.

"My internal energy is definitely at the level of a peak master. But everything else is lacking."

Experience, external arts, and understanding of weapons and martial arts were all lacking. The only thing that wasn't lacking was internal energy. In this situation, if he fought a peak master, it would be a hundred losses out of a hundred battles, and it would be difficult to guarantee a victory even in a fight with a first-rate master. He probably still wouldn't be able to lay a hand or foot on Yang Gwan, who was at the upper end of first-rate masters.

"I also know my shortcomings. But aren't shortcomings just something to be filled?"

Jang So-gil was full of confidence. What was it to have even just one's internal energy at the level of a peak master? A person who didn't know martial arts a few months ago now had the internal energy of a peak master. Then what would be so difficult about filling the lacking parts in the remaining time?

It was neither arrogance nor conceit. Sima Hui knew that, so he didn't say much and swallowed the chicken broth.

Then Yang Gwan said.

"By the way, the assassin didn't come after all."

"I told you he wouldn't come. If they were guys who acted that fast, the situation wouldn't have come to this."

With Jang So-gil obtaining one sixty-year cycle of internal energy, the danger of an assassin was reduced by more than half.

Jang So-gil smiled, mocking the enemies who had missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"Then the preparations are finished."

(End of Chapter)