Chapter 348
Chapter 348. Inner Energy and Magical Power
People adapt to their surroundings.
After about seven days, Yeon Jeokha, who previously considered each day a living hell, grew accustomed to life in the Five Dragons Palace.
He now woke at dawn without the need for a bamboo whip to rouse him.
Although he still didn’t fully grasp the content, he no longer fell asleep during scripture recitations.
He also actively participated in lectures.
He listened attentively and, if he had any doubts, he asked questions.
In the afternoons, he reported to Monk Bangmu and ran errands to Namamgung.
He even developed skill in searching for people, returning to the Five Dragons Palace before dinner.
In these days, Yeon Jeokha appeared, to anyone’s eyes, a mature practitioner.
After dinner, Yeon Jeokha returned to Haseongo and picked up the ‘Nanhua Zhenjing’.
While reading the scriptures, Monk Bangmu visited him.
“Come outside for a moment.”
“Yes.”
Yeon Jeokha closed the book and stood.
Monk Bangmu left him at the ‘Yusugak,’ within the Five Dragons Palace, and silently disappeared.
As Yeon Jeokha watched, bewildered, the pavilion door opened.
“Young Yeon, come in for a moment.”
It was the Sage of Heaven and Earth, visiting after a long time.
Once Yeon Jeokha sat, the Sage served tea and said:
“I don’t know if I’ve called someone busy preparing for the question-and-answer examination in vain.”
“It’s fine.”
Yeon Jeokha took the teacup and sipped.
In fact, conversing with the Sage, the leader of Jinmu Palace, was beneficial to him.
Through him, he could learn fundamental Taoist concepts.
“How’s the preparation going?”
“So-so.”
Yeon Jeokha’s mediocre response caused the Sage to offer an apologetic expression.
“What if I told the leader of the Five Dragons Palace who you are?”
He hoped this incident would improve the relationship between Yeon Jeokha and the Wudang Sect.
If Yeon Jeokha failed the question-and-answer examination, it would be a loss for both sides.
“It’s alright.”
Yeon Jeokha waved his hand.
He didn’t want to suddenly receive special treatment in the Five Dragons Palace.
If he did, rumors might spread amongst the curious practitioners.
The fewer people who knew a secret, the easier it was to keep.
Once one or two knew, it became common knowledge.
And all his efforts until now would vanish like foam.
‘I mustn’t attract unnecessary flies.’
Unless he found Baek Ilun, right?
In a situation where he didn’t know when he would find him, revealing his identity would only be a headache.
“I just need to do well on the question-and-answer examination.”
Yeon Jeokha looked at the Sage with expectant eyes.
Only after arriving at the Wudang Sect did he learn of Jinmu Palace’s existence. Jinmu Palace was the second most powerful temple after Shangqing Palace.
If Shangqing Palace represented the Wudang Sect, Jinmu Palace was the Wudang Sect’s martial arts headquarters.
In that position, they surely knew much about the question-and-answer examination.
But the Sage didn’t meet Yeon Jeokha’s expectations.
“Ah! You’re right. However, the Five Dragons Palace’s question-and-answer examination isn’t easy. Even for Wudang Sect monks, learning the Five Dragons Palace techniques isn’t simple, do you understand?”
“Eh? Even for Wudang Sect monks, it’s difficult?”
“Even in Shangqing, Jinmu, and Taihe Palaces, they carefully select disciples when teaching martial arts. The same goes for the Five Dragons Palace and Namamgung. Especially, the Five Dragons Palace’s question-and-answer examination is extremely difficult; even monks don’t easily pass. Of course, when they accept secular disciples, they lower the standard a bit…”
Even so, the Five Dragons Palace’s question-and-answer examination was notoriously difficult.
So much so that they muttered behind their backs that it was arbitrary.
But since other temples also carefully selected their disciples, they said nothing.
“I’ve heard that this time the question-and-answer examination will be presided over by a monk called ‘Cheongbulno.’ Do you know anything about him?”
“Only that he’s called one of the ‘Seven Masters of the Five Dragons Palace’… Since we seek different things, I don’t know more than that.”
Until recently, mystical techniques didn’t attract much attention. Before the appearance of the Yoomyung Cult, mystical techniques were merely a secondary branch.
Therefore, experts like the Sage of Heaven and Earth or Yeong Gyeolsang didn’t pay much attention to the Seven Masters of the Five Dragons Palace.
“What a pity.”
Yeon Jeokha made a bitter expression.
He thought he could obtain information about Cheongbulno through the Sage, but it seems he was wrong.
“But, essentially, the Tao isn’t different.”
“Eh?”
When Yeon Jeokha looked at him with wide eyes, the Sage smiled and said:
“In the end, the question-and-answer examination is about the Tao, isn’t it? If the basis of mystical techniques is the ‘Tao,’ the basis of the Wudang Sect’s martial arts is also the ‘Tao.’ They are branches sprouting from the same root.”
“Ah.”
“You’ve reached a high level in energy cultivation through the Tao, so the question-and-answer examination won’t be difficult.”
“Really?”
“The leader and I have seen the immortal energy in your body. Probably, the Seven Masters of the Five Dragons Palace will also notice it soon. However, the problem is that the immortal energy has become a little murky due to the side effects of the poison…”
The Sage left the sentence incomplete.
Just as his face was ruined by the poison, his body also seemed affected.
Before, the immortal energy flowed abundantly, but now it could only be noticed if observed carefully.
‘It’s questionable whether the Seven Masters of the Five Dragons Palace will notice it with the remnants of immortal energy left.’
Yeon Jeokha’s immortal energy was now a little peculiar.
What was the ‘Nakwol Dokjeong’ to have affected Yeon Jeokha, the world’s best, so much?
The world is vast and there are many strange people; it’s simply amazing.
“You say the question-and-answer examination won’t be difficult?”
Yeon Jeokha was more interested in the examination than in the immortal energy.
After all, the examination was more tangible than the immortal energy, whose nature he couldn’t comprehend.
“That’s right. The energy you’ve mastered is from Taoism. Therefore, in my opinion, you are already like a monk who has attained the Tao.”
“Have I attained the Tao?”
“How else could you display that swordsmanship? Belief in divine power is the ‘Tao.’ You’ve understood the ‘Tao’ without realizing it.”
“Then, why can’t I use mystical techniques?”
“Because you haven’t fully received them. Belief arises from listening; when you have complete belief, mystical techniques won’t be difficult.”
As expected, the Sage’s words also boiled down to belief, that is, faith.
Since the Wudang Sect is rooted in Taoism, even when things go well, it all comes down to the question of belief.
“What kind of belief?”
Although he had read scriptures and listened to lectures, he hadn’t discussed what to believe in.
“Didn’t you say you learned martial arts from the Mysterious Woman of the Nine Heavens?”
“Yes.”
“The Mysterious Woman of the Nine Heavens is one of the Taoist immortals. Believing that such a person truly exists is Taoism.”
“Then other people don’t believe?”
“I want to ask you. When you said that, did others believe you?”
“They treated me like a madman.”
“That’s the difference between having and not having belief. You already have belief, even if you don’t know it.”
“I don’t know about other things, but about the Mysterious Woman of the Nine Heavens, it seems correct.”
“Haha, let’s suppose there’s a world where immortals live. Do you think the Mysterious Woman of the Nine Heavens would be alone there?”
“There would probably be many other immortals, wouldn’t there?”
Yeon Jeokha looked at the Sage as if asking why he was asking that question.
If the Mysterious Woman of the Nine Heavens exists, it’s natural that there are other immortals!
“That’s precisely the belief of our monks. Believing that a world of immortals exists and striving to reach it. That’s all. Isn’t it easy?”
“Then what does it mean that when an insect rolls dung, the ‘spirit’ arises?”
Yeon Jeokha brought up one of the strange things he’d heard while dozing.
The Sage smiled and explained:
“Patriarch Lü said that when a dung beetle rolls dung, a white light arises within it. That’s the beetle’s ‘spirit’ in action. That’s called ‘divine power.’ ”
“So insects accumulate ‘divine power’?”
“Yes. Even insects, if they dedicate their ‘spirit,’ can generate divine power. Don’t you think humans can also generate ‘divine power’ if they dedicate their ‘spirit’? He probably meant that.”
“Is that ‘divine power’ the ‘inner energy’?”
“It could be ‘inner energy’ or ‘magical or mystical power.’ If they mentioned it in a lecture at the Five Dragons Palace, they probably meant ‘mystical power.’ ”
“Are ‘inner energy’ and ‘mystical power’ different?”
“Essentially, they are the same, but the results are different. ‘Inner energy’ manifests as external force, but ‘mystical power’ materializes the object of belief.”
“Can inner energy and mystical power be the same?”
“For an immortal, it’s possible. Originally, immortals don’t distinguish between ‘mystical power’ and ‘inner energy.’ Humans divide into ‘inner energy’ and ‘mystical power’ according to the direction they seek. For example, in our Jinmu Palace, we accumulate ‘inner energy’ through breathing techniques, but in the Five Dragons Palace, they accumulate ‘mystical power’ with that.”
“But before, Monk Cheonmyeong said that ‘mystical power’ is the size of the belief.”
“He’s right. Both martial artists and shamans advance on the basis of belief. Without belief, not a grain of inner energy can be accumulated.”
“Wow! Inner energy is also accumulated with belief?”
“Yes. Inner energy isn’t something visible. You must believe in its existence without seeing it to be able to cultivate it. The same goes for mystical power. Isn’t it true that the dew a cow drinks becomes milk, but the dew a snake drinks becomes venom? The belief of martial artists and magicians is like that.”
“Aha! So martial artists accumulate inner energy and shamans accumulate mystical power?”
“Yes. That’s why I told you that you have great belief. Don’t you believe in the existence of the Mysterious Woman of the Nine Heavens?”
“I’ve seen her, so I believe.”
“With that belief, if you strive, you’ll be able to master mystical techniques without difficulty.”
“I hope so.”
Yeon Jeokha learned the basic principles of martial arts and mystical techniques late into the night.
The conversation ended at midnight.
After bidding farewell to the Sage, Yeon Jeokha returned to Haseongo with a lighter heart.
All the practitioners were asleep.
He silently went to his place and opened the ‘Nanhua Zhenjing’ to read.
—“In the northern sea there was a fish. Its name was Kun. The size of Kun was thousands of li, no one knew how much. This fish transformed into a bird, whose name was Peng.”
It was the story of ‘Kunhua Weipeng’ that he once heard from the Sage of Heaven and Earth.
Thinking about it, it was also his experience.
He nodded and continued thinking when someone stealthily approached.
It was Manhwangju, who claimed to be from the same region.
“Younger brother, what did you talk about with Monk Bangmu so late?”
“I didn’t talk much with Monk Bangmu. I was just touring the Five Dragons Palace area.”
“What are you saying? Brother Cheon and I searched everywhere for you. If you have good information, share it with us.”
Manhwangju believed that Yeon Dubi had obtained information about the question-and-answer examination by pressuring Monk Bangmu.
Otherwise, why would someone like Monk Bangmu be with Yeon Dubi so late!
“I don’t have anything. You know that in the afternoons I go out to search for people. I was outside.”
Yeon Jeokha denied it.
He knew that if they found out he had met with the Sage of Heaven and Earth, they would think strange things.
But Manhwangju didn’t give up easily.
“Younger brother, we even told you who the examiner is. If you know something, give us a hint. We must help each other.”
“In exchange for that, I gave you ten nyang of silver, unlike others.”
“What does that mean?”
“I heard what you were saying to Miss Yeo a few days ago. You told her for free even though she didn’t want to.”
“So what? Now you’re asking me for money?”
Manhwangju’s expression turned fierce.
He had taken in a wanderer with nowhere to go, and now this ungrateful person dared to demand from him.
“Who’s asking you for money? I didn’t talk to Monk Bangmu. Why can’t you believe what I’m saying?”
Yeon Jeokha was a little annoyed.
The Nokrim thieves, who steal from others, don’t trust each other. Manhwangju was exactly like that. He had bought information with money, and now he thought Yeon Jeokha would do the same.
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