Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 7: Reading a Book a Hundred Times Reveals Its Meaning (6) The Soft Willow Art.
It was Lee Yu-baek's private internal cultivation method—the very foundation of his existence as a martial artist.
It was as powerful as it was fast to master, but it was equally difficult and dangerous. It was only natural for Mo Cheong to be horrified.
"Master, you cannot! It is far too dangerous!"
Lee Yu-baek shook his head, his expression cold.
"Silence, Mo Cheong. So-wol said he came here risking everything. He truly put his life on the line to cross the sea from Annam, and he showed his resolve by offering me his entire fortune. I must respond in kind."
Hearing their conversation, Yeon So-wol's earlier joy vanished, replaced by a bitter taste in his mouth.
Exactly how dangerous is this?
If it was truly life-threatening, he was in a bind. Yeon So-wol wanted to learn martial arts so he could live the life he desired, not to end up a cripple before he even started.
His mind was a whirlwind of conflict.
Lee Yu-baek spoke to him.
"It may be dangerous, but it is a path that will allow you to achieve your goals much faster. As I said, if you devote yourself to your practice, you can reach the Fire Phase within a year. If you maintain that pace, you will reach the next realm even faster. You might even overcome the disadvantage of your age."
At those words, Yeon So-wol's eyes widened.
Until now, the only way he knew to overcome his age was the Great Restoration Pill. To think a simple training method could yield such results?
And if I add the Great Restoration Pill on top of that…!
Yeon So-wol felt his heart race. Reaching the Fire Phase meant becoming a true martial artist, even if he was only considered third-rate.
Then, he could learn the Willow Leaf Step.
Then, he could consume the Great Restoration Pill.
That would be the true beginning.
Then I have to do this. No matter how dangerous it is…
Mo Cheong interjected from the side. "No! Yeon So-wol! Something terrible could really happen!"
"Mo Cheong. This is a man who has set his resolve. Do not interfere."
It was a chilling warning. Mo Cheong shrank back; interrupting his master was a grave mistake.
However, Lee Yu-baek didn't scold him further. He knew better than anyone how absurd it was to teach the Soft Willow Art to someone starting martial arts at eighteen.
But I can see it in your eyes, Yeon So-wol. Your will.
Lee Yu-baek looked at Yeon So-wol. So-wol felt a wave of inexplicable anxiety.
"Come and stand here."
"Yes, Master."
Yeon So-wol tried his best to look composed and hide his trembling.
I must never show weakness. This is the Jianghu. No one is on my side. I am weak.
There was nowhere to retreat. He couldn't run, and he couldn't play it safe.
Even if he tries to kick me out, I won't give him an excuse. I will achieve my goal here before I leave.
Even if the training was truly dangerous…
It's not like I'll actually die, right?
Yeon So-wol chose to believe. He believed that Great Hero Lee Yu-baek of the Pungryu Martial Arts Hall was a man who at least knew where to draw the line. After all, hadn't he covered up a murder? Wasn't he a man of cleanliness and fragrance?
So-wol suppressed his nerves and steeled his resolve. The two stood close, facing each other.
Lee Yu-baek spoke. "The Soft Willow Art is a moving meditation. By moving the body, one achieves Gathering Fire, stimulating the Essence and Qi."
He reached out and gripped So-wol's shoulder.
"Ugh!"
He gripped the shoulder as if to crush it. He twisted. He pulled.
"Guh!"
That was only the beginning. Lee Yu-baek's rough hands grabbed, twisted, pulled, and tore at various parts of So-wol's body, forcing him into unnatural postures.
"Aaaargh!"
Lee Yu-baek's hands were as hot as fire. No, "fire" was simply the only word he could use to describe it; it was a temperature So-wol had never experienced in his life. It was a bizarre pain that felt otherworldly. It was similar to the heat of the "threadworms" that had wriggled where he'd been struck before.
Lee Yu-baek continued to twist, press, and pull So-wol's body. Veins popped on the master's face.
"A person's Essence, Qi, and Spirit are borrowed from heaven and earth; originally, they are pure and full of vitality. But from the moment of birth, they gradually cool, and Turbid Qi sets in until they eventually become unusable. When the Essence, Qi, and Spirit completely cool, turn turbid, and stop, only then does a person reach death. So, what is an internal cultivation method?"
The bizarre heat grew even more intense. The wriggling threadworm-like sensations merged with the heat, finally becoming one. A sensation he had never felt before began to envelop his entire body.
Sweat poured down. It wasn't just So-wol; Lee Yu-baek's face was also drenched in sweat as he continued to manipulate the boy's body.
"An internal cultivation method is a technique to revive the hardened and fouled Essence, Qi, and Spirit. Specifically, it uses fire to bring them back to life. Just as ore full of impurities is refined into pure silver or gold within a hot flame."
Burning away impurities with intense heat to return Essence, Qi, and Spirit to their pure state. Adding heat to bring them back to vibrant life.
"That is why the introductory stage of a cultivation method is called Gathering Fire. It means to gather the flames. It is the stage where you light a fire inside yourself through breathing, gathering heat to begin tempering your Essence and Qi. Now, memorize the movements and follow the breathing. Inhale. Hold. Slowly exhale, then inhale again. From this moment on, your body becomes an Alchemy Furnace."
A furnace is a vessel for fire.
A bellows-furnace boils medicine; an incense burner burns incense; a blast furnace melts iron; a nuclear reactor burns with atomic power. Among them, the Alchemy Furnace is the vessel that refines the Elixir of Immortality.
Yeon So-wol followed Lee Yu-baek's instructions frantically. He memorized the movements being forced upon him and synchronized his breathing. Every time he breathed correctly, the strange flame blooming inside him grew a little larger.
"I didn't hit you for no reason before. I struck True Qi deep into your hardened body to create sparks in your Essence and Qi. And now, I am personally nurturing those sparks through Qi-Guided Blood Circulation."
Indeed, every time Lee Yu-baek pulled his arm or pressed into his thigh as if to pierce it, So-wol felt the faint sparks throughout his body growing stronger.
"Our immediate goal is the Fire Phase. The Fire Phase means 'observing the fire.' It refers to controlling the heat. Once enough fire has been raised within you through Gathering Fire, you must control that flame to begin burning away the Turbid Qi in earnest. Like tempering a sword or firing pottery. That is the Fire Phase. But that is for later. For now, let's get a feel for Gathering Fire."
Lee Yu-baek held and forcibly moved So-wol for two full hours. He taught him the movements and breathing techniques while pouring hot energy into his body. Finally, Lee Yu-baek stepped away.
"Whew. Whew."
"Haa… haa…"
Both were soaked in sweat. The pain So-wol felt from lighting a fire for the first time in his cooling Essence and Qi was indescribable. For Lee Yu-baek, striking True Qi into such a body to forcibly stimulate it through Qi-Guided Blood Circulation was no small feat either. Even for the top master in Sinheung, it was a taxing technique.
The two stood still for a long time, catching their breath. Only after he had composed himself did Lee Yu-baek ask So-wol, "How is it? Do you feel warmth inside you? Not body heat. I'm asking if you feel the warm, flickering True Qi."
Yeon So-wol nodded. "Yes. I feel a flame. It's burning."
"Hmm?" Lee Yu-baek tilted his head. "You feel a flame, not just warmth? Already? It should be very faint."
"I feel it very clearly. It's hot."
"That shouldn't be possible." Flustered, Lee Yu-baek grabbed So-wol's pulse point. "Where do you feel the flames?"
"Um… the largest is in my lower abdomen. Then the right thigh. A small one in my left calf. And another small one in my left shoulder."
"…!"
Lee Yu-baek looked at So-wol as if he were seeing a ghost. He was exactly right. This was impossible for someone encountering a cultivation method for the first time today.
"I knew your Qi Sense was sharp from the way you dodged attacks, but to think it was this much!" Lee Yu-baek nodded in admiration. "It's a relief. Such sensitive Qi Sense will be a great help. Since there's no turning back now."
Yeon So-wol tilted his head. No turning back? From what?
"Cultivating a mental method always carries the risk of Qi Deviation. It's not as strict at the Gathering Fire stage, but… given your age, it can't be helped."
Lee Yu-baek suddenly drew his sword. He swung it, carving characters into the floor. They were precautions So-wol had to follow.
"Keep these in mind and follow them strictly. First: from now on, you must breathe only using the method I taught you. You must never stop for more than fifteen minutes. Maintain the breathing technique constantly. While you are awake, and even while you sleep."
Even while I sleep? So-wol was bewildered. How do I do a breathing technique while sleeping?
"If you cannot maintain the breathing, do not sleep."
"…"
Yeon So-wol was horrified.
"You must do this until you reach the Fire Phase. It's because warmth is now circulating in your body, which was full of Turbid Qi. What happens if warm energy is trapped without circulating with the outside?"
Yeon So-wol thought of common sense. What happens when it's warm and damp but lacks ventilation?
"It will rot. Mold will grow."
"Exactly. If you don't continue the breathing, your Essence and Qi will rot and turn foul. You'll vomit black blood and die."
"…"
Yeon So-wol asked himself internally, Excuse me?
"Second: you must follow the breathing technique absolutely. Especially in the sections where I told you not to exhale, you must not even open your mouth. If you accidentally open your mouth, the Gathering Fire you've worked so hard to collect will come rushing out, your internals will turn cold, and you will fall gravely ill."
"…"
Cold sweat ran down So-wol's back. Wait a minute.
"Third: you must constantly practice the Soft Willow Art I just taught you. You must feel the Gathering Fire and use the movements to spread that fire evenly throughout your body. You'll have to wake up periodically during the night to move. Otherwise, some parts will be cold while others are hot, twisting your Qi and blood. Eventually, you won't be able to use your body. You might even just drop dead."
"…"
"Lastly: until you reach the Fire Phase—no, for the rest of your life—do not spit. This is because your 'Essence' is being heated. The saliva in your mouth could be your very Essence, so if you spit it out recklessly, your vitality will quickly wither."
Yeon So-wol's pupils shook. I'll die or become a cripple…? Just because I take one wrong breath?
So-wol tried to deny it. No. Surely not. There's no way. There must be some kind of safety measure. Logically.
He asked calmly, "What should I do if, by some slim chance, I make a mistake?"
"You shouldn't make a mistake."
"…"
Yeon So-wol asked again, "It seems even more dangerous than I thought. Do you have any advice on how to do this safely?"
"Hmm? Didn't I just tell you everything?"
"…"
Yeon So-wol hoped all of this was just an exaggeration intended to scare him. "…Then, are there actually cases like what you described? People dying or losing the use of their bodies? I ask so I can keep it in mind and be cautious."
"Usually not at the Gathering Fire stage. But the deeper one's cultivation becomes, the more it becomes a battle against Qi Deviation. However, because of your age, you face the risk of Qi Deviation starting from Gathering Fire."
"So people really die or become crippled…"
Lee Yu-baek looked wistfully into the distance. "I have three direct disciples. They are called the Three Gentlemen of Pungryu. But originally, it was supposed to be the Four Gentlemen of Pungryu."
"…"
"Still, I'm one of the lucky ones. The direct disciples of the Severing Sword Sect were originally supposed to be the Seven Severing Swords."
"How many are they now…?"
"Was it the Four Severing Swords?"
"…"
"Seeking transcendence while trapped in a human body is a treacherous path."
Yeon So-wol slowly closed his eyes. Why? How did it come to this? He had only tried his best. Suddenly, Jo Man-seok's voice echoed in his ears.
'Never trust a man of the Jianghu.'
But… it was too late to back out now. No one would listen even if he whined. What a crazy world. It was precisely to avoid situations like this that Yeon So-wol had resolved to become strong. Someday. Definitely.
Yeon So-wol suppressed the surge of emotion and replied, "Yes. I understand."
Mo Cheong was shocked by his calm demeanor. Is he not afraid after hearing that? How can he be like that?
Lee Yu-baek smiled with satisfaction, as if he had expected nothing less. "Do you see, Mo Cheong? When a man sets his resolve, he can move mountains. What is there to fear?"
Yeon So-wol glared at Lee Yu-baek. The master liked that look in his eyes.
"Good! A fine spirit!"
"…"
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