episode_0046
by fnovelpiaCheongun sincerely tried to please his master. To be honest, he wondered if it was really necessary to go to such lengths. But what could he do? He couldn’t resist. It wasn’t just anything; it was Sword Control through Qi, wasn’t it? If he missed this chance, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
Cheongun furtively observed his master’s expression.
Jin Mooseong narrowed his brows and looked at Cheongun. Normally, Cheongun would shudder at the mention of training, coming up with all sorts of excuses to evade it. But this time, for some reason, Cheongun was the one who practically bowed his head, asking for instruction.
“He really seems desperate to learn, doesn’t he?” Watching this, Jin Mooseong’s shoulders rose with surging pride.
“Very well. I will pass on the Sword Control through Qi to you.” He would pass on the Sword Control through Qi. At those words, Cheongun swiftly raised his bowed head, his face brightening with joy.
Jin Mooseong asked. “What is Sword Control?”
“Hmm.” Cheongun thought. What is Sword Control? Isn’t it just swords flying through the air like wireless drones?
“First, Sword Control is not a specific technique.” “Is that so?” “Let me give you an example. What is Sword Qi?” “Isn’t it drawing qi from your dantian and extending it outside your sword?” “Yes. But that doesn’t make Sword Qi a technique, does it? It’s the same with Sword Control. It’s merely an art that can only be achieved by freely manipulating inner qi.”
At those words, Cheongun fell into thought. Sword Control is an art, not a technique. Thinking about it quietly, he seemed to grasp the difference. So, Sword Qi and Sword Control are passive skills, and techniques are active skills? Applying his master’s teachings one by one to game concepts made it much easier to understand.
“To wield Sword Control through Qi, there are steps you must first master.” Cheongun nodded. Sword Control through Qi was the skill one could learn at the very last stage of the sword mastery skill tree. Naturally, one had to go through stages, mastering skills one by one to unlock it.
He racked his brain, recalling past memories. Pure Refinement State → Sword-Body Unification → Empty Space Manipulation → Sword Control through Qi. Was this roughly the order? It seemed right? Just in case, he subtly asked, and his master burst out laughing at the unexpected answer.
“Sometimes you’re so ignorant, there’s no bigger idiot than you, but then other times you’re as clever as a ghost.” “Haha, I suppose I am.”
“If you already know, then it’s easy to explain. The Pure Refinement State, though it sounds complex, is actually simple.” “What is it?” “It refers to a state where inner qi becomes extremely pure, and one can perfectly control even the qi that leaks outside the body.”
Cheongun thought for a moment. The nature of inner qi? Since he used the natural qi directly, it was naturally pure. Control of inner qi? Because he had maxed out his Qi Perception stat from character creation, this wasn’t too difficult either.
Cheongun exclaimed in admiration. “Isn’t that exactly me?” No, seriously. It’s me, exactly!
“Listen carefully from now on.” “Yes.”
“The secret to moving an external sword using qi is simple. It is to divide your qi into two parts: the qi inside your body and the qi outside your body.”
Cheongun thought. The qi inside his body would be inner qi. The qi outside his body… wasn’t it natural qi?
“Putting the qi from outside your body into the sword, and connecting it with the qi inside your body to move it, is Sword Control through Qi. This is also called imbuing the sword with your will.” “Aha.”
“But how can you imbue a sword you’re not even touching with your will? That is why the Sword-Body Unification state is necessary. Only by becoming one with the sword can you imbue it with your will, don’t you agree?” “Then what about Empty Space Manipulation?”
“It’s just wordplay. Both Sword Control through Qi and Empty Space Manipulation share the same principle of using inner qi to project it outwards and move objects. It’s just that imbuing the sword with your will consumes a considerable amount of inner qi, so if your inner qi is shallow and you can only move the sword poorly, it’s called Empty Space Manipulation, but if your inner qi is profound and the movement is free and unhindered, it’s called Sword Control through Qi.”
What? So, in the end, this is also about inner qi power? That’s even better. For Cheongun, the natural qi spread throughout the world was his inner qi, so at least when it came to inner qi, Cheongun had no rival.
“Then what about that Sword-Body Unification? How do I achieve that?” “How? You train, of course.” “No, I mean, how do I do that training?”
“It’s simple. Empty your mind.” “What?”
What is this? Empty his mind? What kind of monk-like talk is that?
“Tsk, tsk. What a foolish fellow. Listen carefully.” His master’s explanation continued.
Humans are made up of essence, qi, and spirit. Qi is contained within the body, and that qi in turn forms the spirit. His master said that repeating this process of cultivation is martial arts. It is to temper the physical body, or essence, by manipulating qi with the spirit.
Why is it that the more inner qi one accumulates through cultivation methods, the more the body develops along with that achievement? This is also in the same vein, as the act of accumulating inner qi itself is tempering the body by manipulating qi.
Therefore, his master’s argument was that one must temper the spirit, which can be called the root of qi. That was why orthodox martial arts of the Daoist lineage demanded meditation at every opportunity, and why Buddhist monks read scriptures and emptied their minds.
“Cheongun, your mind is turbid. No, it’s just plain filthy.” “No, even so, how can you call your disciple filthy?” “Selling off a gift from your master at an auction just to get a few coins, how wicked is that nature?” “……”
Is that so? No, even so, that’s a bit much.
“So, I have to meditate all day long?” “Yes. Since you haven’t yet reached your prime, if you train diligently, you’ll soon achieve results.” “So, when will I ever get to use it? I can’t use it right away?”
“Haha, do you think Sword Control through Qi is just some random dog’s name?” Jin Mooseong chuckled.
“There is one fastest way to temper the spirit.” There is? Cheongun’s eyes sparkling.
“Do you know about the Chamber Arts?” “I don’t.” “It is a training method to achieve harmony between yin and yang by supplementing a woman’s yin qi.” “…?”
Supplementing a woman’s yin qi? What in the world? Cheongun stared at his master with a dumbfounded expression.
“Haha, you don’t even know about cultivating yin to supplement yang?” “What is that?” “It’s simple. You can supplement your yin qi by having relations with a woman who has strong yin qi. When a man full of yang qi obtains yin qi, yin and yang achieve harmony, clarifying the spirit and making one’s will even clearer.” “……”
Did he hear wrong? Cheongun picked his ear. And then looked at his master again.
“Don’t you think that only when yin and yang are in harmony can true mental and physical stability be achieved?” “Uh, hmm. So, what you’re saying is…?”
Jin Mooseong smiled brightly. And emphasized clearly once more. “Try the Chamber Arts. Or cultivate yourself by reading Buddhist scriptures.”
****
Cheongun pondered. No, was that really true? This kind of training? Did it make sense? It sounded like a cultivation method a lecherous fiend from the Demonic Cult would use. Honestly, he couldn’t believe it.
So, he looked up the Chamber Arts. And it turned out to be a real training method. Moreover, it was said to be a Daoist cultivation method recognized by various sects.
But the method was tricky. One must not harbor any lust during the act. Nor should one practice arbitrary asceticism. The goal was to achieve harmony between yin and yang, so everything that happened during the process was merely a means to an end. Thus, the moment one harbored any lust, even for an instant, it would become useless.
No, not feeling any lust while having relations? Damn, does that even make sense? Was he supposed to have relations with some unknown, morbidly obese woman who was the exact opposite of his ideal type? It was truly an astonishing cultivation method.
Jeok Hwaryeon, who had been answering Cheongun’s questions one by one, tilted her head. “But Sect Leader-nim. Why the Chamber Arts?” “You don’t need to know.”
Cheongun pondered. All the preparations for wielding Sword Control through Qi were complete. Yet, he couldn’t wield it because his ‘spirit’, which belonged to the cultivation of the spirit among essence, qi, and spirit, was not tempered. This was a disaster of epic proportions. Ah, how gloomy. To think his dream of flying on his sword would collapse like this.
“Why? Are you interested in the Chamber Arts?” “I was.” “…Really?”
Jeok Hwaryeon subtly watched Cheongun’s expression. She wondered if the dense Sect Leader-nim would understand.
At that moment, Cheongun spoke. “Didn’t you just say that the moment one harbors lust, the training becomes ineffective?” “What?”
Jeok Hwaryeon blinked her eyes blankly. And chewed on Cheongun’s words. It wouldn’t work because the training becomes ineffective the moment one harbors lust? That meant…
“!!!” Her cheeks flushed bright red. She covered her mouth with both hands. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears.
Meanwhile, Cheongun was troubled in many ways. Because Sword Control through Qi still shimmered before his eyes. For now, the Chamber Arts were out of the question. In fact, the condition itself was impossible. Well, anyway, wasn’t the core simply emptying his mind? If he searched, there would surely be another method. Thus, Cheongun fell into deep thought.
Emptying his mind. Did that mean a state of having no thoughts, no emotions, and no desires? When was his mind most at ease? He didn’t know. No, wasn’t the point just to supplement yin qi in the first place? Of course, there were different kinds of yin qi, so it had to be pure and refined yin qi. Come to think of it, there was indeed one such rare opportunity.
“…Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.” Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng. It was an ancient spiritual medicine taken by those who cultivated ice arts, but its true essence was ultimately the purest crystallization of yin qi in the world. It was a spirit object that had grown for thousands of years, absorbing only the qi of extreme yin within ice and snow, so where could there be purer yin qi than this?
Just then. “Sect Leader-nim.” “Hmm?” Ryeon subtly peeked her head in. And smiled shyly.
“Have you been looking at me like that all this time?” “What?” “Right. Well, I understand. Sect Leader-nim is a man too. Honestly, if it were any other man, I might have been displeased, but with Sect Leader-nim, it might not be so bad.”
Ryeon poked Cheongun’s chest with her finger. “Didn’t I tell you? I’d be loyal for life.” Then she leaned her face closer and closer. For a moment, his heart felt like it plummeted.
Cheongun closed his eyes. And repeated inwardly. Peace of mind. Stability. Emptiness of thought. Harmony of essence, qi, and spirit. Sword Control through Qi. Sword Flight. To do that, he must temper his spirit… Damn it, his head felt hot and his heart was pounding. He could confidently say it was an unexpected crisis.
It was then, as he was deep in thought. Jeok Hwaryeon blushed and smiled. “Oh, right. You said if you harbor lust for your partner, the training won’t work, didn’t you?” “…” “Then Sect Leader-nim will have a tough time. I can tell just by looking at your expression now, right?”
The taunting continued. Cheongun grinned. *Swish—* At the same time, he pulled out the wooden moktak he had received from Bang Jongdae. And then. — *Thwack!* “Gah!” “Don’t get ahead of yourself.” “Damn it! Sect Leader-nim, are you crazy?” “I am always crazy.”
0 Comments