Chapter 45
Chapter 45: Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven
Inside the guest quarters provided by the Baekseo antiquarian bookshop, Yanghwi sat in deep concentration, regulating his respiration and guiding the flow of his qi.
Immortal qi… It truly was a peculiar force.
There was the immortal qi residing in the core that had spontaneously formed following his rebirth, alongside the immortal qi extracted from the pill that had emerged out of that enigmatic iron sphere. Even disregarding the fact that both shared an identical essence, the nature of immortal qi remained genuinely bizarre. Throughout his past life, having scrutinized myriad martial arts and encountered every conceivable temperament of qi while striving to elevate his family’s martial legacy, Yanghwi had never come across anything remotely like it. Though designated as immortal qi, it differed fundamentally from the pristine, benevolent qi nurtured by Daoist practitioners. It possessed a quality that was far clearer, more profound, primeval, and foundational.
It feels…
It seemed almost identical to the very atmosphere that might saturate the realm of immortals, assuming such a domain actually existed.
Hah, impossible.
Old myths spoke of otherworldly abodes where transcendents gathered, places like the Hermit’s Abode or the Peach Blossom Spring, but fables were merely fables, divorced from physical reality. Tales told of mortals whose realization aligned with heaven, allowing them to enter the realm of transcendence and achieve immortality, yet those were simple legends. Nevertheless, the immortal qi permeating Yanghwi was so astonishing that it compelled him to question whether those timeless myths contained a kernel of truth.
It acts purely as energy, yet it integrates directly into my flesh of its own accord, tempering and fortifying my physical body.
Specific martial arts operated on such principles, Shaolin’s Muscle-Tendon Classic being a prime example. Yet that required the intentional cycling of qi and rigorous conditioning aligned with structured methods; an energy reinforcing the mortal vessel purely through its own nature was something he had neither witnessed nor heard of before.
My internal energy equates to roughly twenty years of cultivation. In terms of martial capability, that places me right at the threshold of the second-rate realm. I have already matched the standing Father held immediately after my rebirth.
Generally, an initiate training from early childhood attained the second-rate realm around their twentieth year, marked by the capping ceremony. Taking into account that Yanghwi was barely eight years old, it was an utterly preposterous feat.
“Inhale, haah…”
Letting out a drawn-out breath, he opened his eyes. Straightening his garments, Yanghwi opened the door and walked out.
“Ah, Little Brother. Are you finished?”
“Yes, Brother Gu.”
Gu Ak was loosening up in the courtyard just outside. Beside him, Chudal moved his short, youthful frame in deliberate patterns, earnestly going through the motions of the Pear Blossom Six Harmonies Art that Yanghwi had shown him during their travels.
In that fleeting second, a wave of sheer disbelief washed over Yanghwi.
Unbelievable. How could I look at this brat Chudal and find him endearing?
So even an obstinate runt who never heeded a word could appear endearing in his childhood years.
— Heh heh heh, Boss. My stomach’s empty, got any spare coins?
— While you’re pulling out your pouch, buy me a drink too!
The memory was enough to turn the world upside down. Walking into the courtyard, Yanghwi delivered a swift flick to Chudal’s forehead for no reason whatsoever.
Thump!
“Ow! Why’d you do that?!”
“Who taught you to talk back to your elder brother, you brat?”
Thump!
“Aah! Ouch! It hurts! Stop striking meee!”
Thump!
“GYAAAH! That one was way harder!”
Seeing Chudal grip his forehead while writhing across the dirt brought a satisfied grin to Yanghwi’s face. Indeed, this was the Chudal he remembered. Gu Ak clicked his tongue as he observed the scene, then spoke up.
“Little Brother, what is your plan, anyway? You announced you’d handle the trouble facing the Baekseo bookshop, but you’ve stayed shut inside your quarters for days.”
“I ingested quite a rare delicacy, so shouldn’t I dedicate time to steady my foundation?”
Gu Ak smacked his lips, unable to hide his lingering envy. The medicine Yanghwi had swallowed down at Yu Estate was unmistakably a supreme spiritual elixir. Without it, an eight-year-old boy could never have gone wild and cut down dozens of trained killers, genius or not.
“Some people have all the fortune. We weathered the ordeal side by side, yet only one of us enjoyed the banquet.”
Hearing Gu Ak’s complaint, Yanghwi’s grin widened.
“Would you like an elixir of your own?”
“As if you can pull an elixir out of thin air… Wait… Given that expression, you’ve stumbled onto something, haven’t you?”
Yanghwi flashed a grin so transparent that no one could misread it. His posture broadened with smug confidence, his nose tilting upward. Gu Ak grasped the meaning instantly.
This little demon knows where a cache of elixirs is buried.
“You can’t be serious. Really?”
“Yes. Truly.”
“How?”
“By maintaining good conduct.”
In his prior lifetime, Yanghwi had passed through life without ever laying eyes on an elixir. That did not mean he was entirely ignorant of them, however. He had frequently listened to tales that set the realm abuzz, harboring sheer envy toward those fortunate enough to uncover such miraculous fortunes.
The Namgeum Merchant Guild. The downfall that struck them fifteen years in the future was caused by an elixir, was it not?
Looking back, the whole affair was utterly absurd. Of all locations, a spiritual herb had sprouted on the mountain slopes directly behind their primary estate, plunging everything into utter madness. During that period, the Namgeum Merchant Guild endured relentless badgering and extortion from hordes of martial artists until their organization disintegrated. To forfeit an entire enterprise over an elixir they never even realized was there was the very definition of terrible luck. Then again, knowing now that they were corrupt oppressors involved in foul dealings, their ruin was well deserved.
“Little Brother. So, do you truly know where an elixir is located?”
Gu Ak’s eager inquiry pulled him out of his thoughts.
“Yes. I know the place.”
“How could you? Don’t tell me you picked it up while wandering with beggars. That makes zero sense.”
“Naturally not. I pinpointed it through my qi sense.”
“…You might as well claim you heard it in passing. What kind of tall tale is that?”
Yanghwi offered no reply, merely staring at Gu Ak with bright, sparkling eyes.
“What kind of nonsense… Hold on, are you serious?”
“Brother Gu. Did you find it easy to believe when an eight-year-old boy wiped out over a dozen trained killers?”
“……”
This boy has a knack for rendering people completely speechless, Gu Ak mused, before exclaiming, “Then why are we wasting time here?! What if someone else unearths it first?! We leave immediately! Pack up!”
Gu Ak’s voice rose with sheer excitement, but Yanghwi shook his head in refusal.
“Brother Gu. A prodigy appearing once every century must strictly adhere to the principle of killing two birds with one stone.”
“When did killing two birds with one stone become a principle?”
“Since it remains an adage to practice throughout life, it easily qualifies as a principle.”
After all, killing two birds with one stone was indeed a traditional four-character phrase.
“While traveling to claim the elixir, we shall dismantle those scoundrels from the Namgeum Merchant Guild at the same time, Brother Gu.”
Noticing the wicked smirk forming across Yanghwi’s features, Gu Ak gave him a suspicious glance. “Is it fitting for an heir of an upright orthodox lineage to throw around words like wiping people out?”
“Well, I can hardly offer them warm compliments, can I?”
That was true enough. Just as Gu Ak gave a reluctant nod, Chudal cut in.
“Boss. Do you have an assignment for me?”
“You? Hardly. What could a child possibly accomplish?”
“I’m only a single year younger than you, Boss!”
“Listen to this imp using that cheeky tone again.”
Chudal instantly raised his hands to shield his brow.
If you hadn’t pulled me out of death’s grip, I swear… Doesn’t he realize that gentle words invite gentle replies?
Always knocking him upside the head without warning, yet he had the audacity to scold him over mere tone? Despite his tender age, a wave of resentment surged through Chudal. Watching the exchange, Gu Ak felt a shared sense of pity for the boy.
“Regardless, I wish to repay what I owe to you and Hero Gu. Please let me assist.”
“Hmm. Your sincerity is noted.”
Yanghwi stroked his chin thoughtfully for a second, then vaulted directly onto Chudal’s shoulders and back.
“Oof!”
“……Boss, what are you doing?”
“Didn’t you state you wished to return the favor? You shall serve as my personal steed until we dismantle the Namgeum Merchant Guild.”
“……You aren’t entrusting me with a secret assignment?”
“What sort of task would I hand to a novice?”
“A novice?! I possess considerable training from being raised inside an assassin organization!”
Who gave you permission to raise your voice? Insolent little rascal, I should rap your skull once more. Instead of striking, Yanghwi circulated his true qi. As the burden upon Chudal’s back instantly doubled, the boy wobbled precariously.
“W-what is happening?!”
“It is a minor technique called the Thousand-Catty Weight, my shortsighted little brother. Your responsibility is to carry me while conditioning your physical stamina, so follow instructions. Unwavering comfort, wouldn’t you say?”
Pursing his lips, Chudal kept quiet, terrified that speaking up would make the weight heavier still.
“So what is the stratagem, Little Brother?”
“Quite straightforward.”
With a sly grin, Yanghwi laid out the plan in a single sentence.
“Brother Gu, you shall temporarily resume your trade as dark-path bandits!”
“?”
What sort of bizarre madness is this cunning little devil orchestrating now? Gu Ak released a heavy breath.
Drip. A single bead of sweat fell onto the hard earth, leaving a dark mark. It came from Chudal, who had been lugging Yanghwi on his back for three continuous shichen.
“Hah, pant. Boss.”
“What is it?”
Even after calling out, Chudal struggled to get the words past his ragged breaths.
This boy. Despite suffering to this degree, he hasn’t once begged me to step down. He possessed remarkable tenacity from the very start, this little rascal.
In his earlier life, Chudal had displayed exceptional endurance and stubborn grit. Channeling that sheer willpower into tracking methods was how he had gained the moniker Baekri Chudal.
“Boss, pant, how are we supposed to kill two birds with one stone?”
“You will understand once we arrive. Ah, veer right up ahead.”
Carrying Yanghwi, Chudal trudged up the slopes directly behind the compound of the Namgeum Merchant Guild. For a mountain located so close to an expansive city like Nanchang, the terrain proved unexpectedly treacherous, and sweat streamed steadily down Chudal’s face.
“Take the path to the left at this split.”
“Pant, where in heaven’s name… are we… heading?”
“Where do you think? We are going to unearth an elixir.”
Chudal halted in his tracks. Hurling out random navigation at a whim, and he insisted they were hunting an elixir? Typically, searching for an elixir demanded thorough scouring of every ditch and tree, didn’t it? Just as Chudal stood paralyzed between common logic and the bizarre reality, Yanghwi spoke.
“Ah, we are almost upon it.”
Yanghwi closed his eyes, inhaling the mountain air. The sniffing was purely playful; by extending his qi sense outward, he caught the faint currents of energy drifting toward them.
A subtle trace of yin qi, enveloped within potent yang qi. It matches the signature of ginseng.
Because the yang energy dominated, it was not snow ginseng, but most likely an ancient wild root transformed into a spiritual treasure.
“We have reached it. Endure just a moment longer, Chudal.”
“U-understood…”
After trekking across the wilderness for more than three shichen, Yanghwi detected the source and dropped down from Chudal’s shoulders.
The surrounding terrestrial qi is funneling straight toward that gorge.
A convergence point where raw energy pooled in this fashion was traditionally recognized as the core of an earth vein — a dragon cavity. Pacing forward several strides, vibrant crimson berries presented themselves to his sight. Unsheathing a short blade from his inner robe, he began prying the soil away from the stems.
“Seven-Branch Three-Berry Ginseng.”
Stout, radish-like roots, each bearing three scarlet berries across its shoots — five full roots in total. Drawing from the lore he had learned in his former life, a single root of this mystical herb was capable of granting approximately thirty years of cultivation. If blended with complementary ingredients and processed through alchemy into a refined elixir, its potency could be amplified even further.
I intended to let them mature for another decade before harvesting. Still, there is no harm in distributing them among our retainers ahead of schedule.
“I-incredible. There really… pant… was an elixir… haah.”
“Naturally. Your elder brother never speaks falsehoods.”
Keeping the smallest of the five specimens aside, Yanghwi bundled the remaining four into a piece of fabric and secured them within his pack.
“Chudal. A moment ago, you inquired about how we would strike down two targets with a single stone, correct?”
“Yes, pant, whew.”
“The concept is elementary. Just like casting bait across the water before throwing your line, you drop the lure and draw the fish together.”
Pulling out the beggar rags he had worn back in Jiujiang from his travel pack, Yanghwi’s lips curled into a smirk.
“I observed three or four medical clinics back down below. What do you suppose transpires when word spreads that an ignorant beggar boy found a rare herb upon the mountain and wandered into town trying to sell it off?”
Particularly if, to the trained gaze of a doctor, that medicinal plant proved to be an authentic spirit herb. And what if it happened to be the Seven-Branch Three-Berry Ginseng, a treasure famous for growing in clusters?
“Heh heh heh. There is no finer show under heaven than observing a fire, Chudal. It is time we kindle the flames.”
Witnessing that wicked, menacing grin, a chill ran straight down Chudal’s spine.
Three days went by.
“Hey, have you caught the latest rumor?”
“The streets are crawling with hundreds of rumors. Which one are you talking about?”
“Word is, a spiritual elixir has been uncovered!”
The rumor of the elixir’s discovery tore across the sprawling markets of Nanchang like an inferno, and the martial artists across the region began to mobilize like a roaring blaze across the plains.
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