Chapter 74
A few days later, Baek Mu-Gun visited the Medicine King Family at Mount Yandang and received three Heavenly Medicine Pills and twenty Hundred Herb Pills, which they had made in the span of a month. The twenty Hundred Herb Pills were given to the Baek Sword Corps’ highest-ranking martial artists, excluding those who received the Hundred Herb Pills last month.
On the other hand, the Heavenly Medicine Pills were not given to anyone. Where they would be used had already been set in stone. During a discussion with Baek Cheon-Sang, Mu-Gun decided to give two of the three Heavenly Medicine Pills to the patriarchs of Justice Martial Sect and the Flying Lance Sect. Since that decision was already final anyway, they thought it was better to give the pills to the patriarchs before the tournament for the alliance leader position. It would be much easier to persuade the other clans if they showed an unexpectedly good performance in the tournament.
For that purpose, Mu-Gun planned to stop by both sects before going to Hangzhou. Mu-Gun headed to the Justice Martial Sect with Jeong Ho-Gun, Jo Won-Yee, and the Six White Wolves. Their journey progressed extremely fast due to their small numbers and since they traveled on horseback.
They arrived at the Justice Martial Sect just three days after they left. Notified in advance, the Justice Martial Sect welcomed their party with great hospitality. After enjoying the dinner party, Mu-Gun met with Jeong Won-Hyo and gave him a Heavenly Medicine Pill, the effects of which surprised the latter.
“Hoh, I haven’t even been able to repay your grace for revamping our martial arts yet, but you’re already giving me such a precious spiritual pill. I really have to carry this favor to my grave.”
“It’s fine. Consume this Heavenly Medicine Pill and properly demonstrate your skills in the upcoming martial arts tournament. That would be enough for me.”
“You want me to participate in the martial arts tournament?”
“If you put up an unexpectedly good fight in it, the other clans will surely wonder why your martial arts have suddenly shown such improvement.”
“Should I let them know that I received help from the Baek Sword Sect at that time, then?”
“That would be much appreciated. Once they have learned of the truth, the other clans will begin to hope that our sect will help them just as how we helped you and the Flying Lance Sect. That would be enough reason for them to support our sect into becoming the alliance leader.”
“To be honest, Considering the Byeok Sword Manor and the Wind Saber Sect want to become the Zhejiang Martial Alliance leader without giving anything in return, it is a hundred times better to choose the Baek Sword Sect, which strives to achieve growth together with the Ten Clans of Zhejiang. If the other clans learn the Baek Sword Sect’s real intention, they will certainly support the Baek Sword Sect.”
“You should also help us a lot from the side, Uncle Jeong.”
“That’s a given. I don’t want the Byeok Sword Manor or the Wind Saber Sect to become the alliance leader either.”
“Thank you.”
“I should be the one thanking you.”
“Are you properly familiarizing yourself with the Heavenly Flame Origin Cultivation Method and the 12 Heavenly Flame Blades?”
“The more I become proficient at them, the more I realize how amazing they are. It’s just a pity that I don’t have enough talent to keep up with their excellence.”
“If you increase your internal energy by consuming the Heavenly Medicine Pill, it will be much easier for you to execute the 12 Heavenly Flame Blades. If you don’t mind, I would also like to check your martial arts through a spar, Uncle Jeong.”
“I’d appreciate that if you’re truly willing.”
“You should absorb the Heavenly Medicine Pill first. Let’s spar after that.”
“Alright. Again, thank you.”
“No, I’m glad I could be of help to you, Uncle Jeong.”
“Hoho, you speak such flattering words. You must be tired, so go and rest up for now.”
“Okay, please have a good rest as well, Uncle Jeong.”
Mu-Gun bid farewell and left Won-Hyo’s room. He then returned to the side building where he was staying and went to sleep.
Immediately after Mu-Gun went back, Won-Hyo consumed the Heavenly Medicine Pill and circulated his qi. The energy it contained was enormous. It would have been difficult to effectively handle it with their original cultivation method.
Fortunately, the improved Heavenly Flame Origin Cultivation Method’s efficacy was outstanding. The Heavenly Medicine Pill’s energy conformed to its energy and moved as Won-Hyo wanted. He skilfully circulated his qi and absorbed the Heavenly Medicine Pill’s energy with his new cultivation method.
The Heavenly Flame Origin Cultivation Method was based on the energy of fire. The Heavenly Medicine Pill, which contained yang energy, had similar properties to the Heavenly Flame Origin Cultivation Method’s internal energy.
In other words, the Heavenly Flame Origin Cultivation Method could absorb the Heavenly Medicine Pill’s energy as its own without a single waste. Won-Hyo continued to circulate his qi until dawn the next morning. After absorbing all of it, Won-Hyo finally opened his eyes. He stayed up all night, but he did not look tired at all. Rather, he was overflowing with vigor, having turned the pill’s energy into his internal energy.
“This spiritual pill is really good.”
Won-Hyo admired its effect. It was not just the amount of his internal energy that increased. By absorbing the Heavenly Medicine Pill, he had finally managed to cross over the wall of the Upper Peak Realm, which he had been unable to do until now. Won-Hyo felt elated, but consuming a spiritual pill to solve a problem that he couldn’t fix despite trying so hard made him feel a little dejected at the same time. It was as if all his efforts so far had just been a waste of time since he reached the Upper Peak Realm so easily.
He soon shook his head, however. If he had not put in the effort, he couldn’t have reached the Upper Peak Realm even after consuming the Heavenly Medicine Pill. The Heavenly Medicine Pill was not almighty. It was simply a kind of catalyst that ensured the efforts he had put in so far would bear fruit. That being said, he also knew he shouldn’t be satisfied with just the Upper Peak Realm and shouldn’t be negligent in his efforts.
He knew full well why Mu-Gun gave him the Heavenly Medicine Pill. Mu-Gun said that he would make the Zhejiang Martial Alliance a force comparable to the Seven Great Families. For that purpose, the entirety of the Ten Clans of Zhejiang had to grow together. Mu-Gun did not give him the Heavenly Medicine Pill just so he could be satisfied with the Upper Peak Realm. The Upper Peak Realm was nothing more than just the beginning. Rather than stopping here, he should devote his all toward reaching a higher realm.
Having reached the Upper Peak Realm with the Heavenly Medicine Pill’s help, Won-Hyo felt the need to check his skills immediately. If possible, he wanted to spar with Mu-Gun right away. However, he required time to control his power, which had gone through a sudden growth. Won-Hyo stayed in the training hall for an entire day, concentrating on martial arts training. As a result, he had become accustomed to the Upper Peak Realm to a certain extent.
Won-Hyo immediately requested a spar with Mu-Gun now that he was familiar enough with the Upper Peak Realm for it, and Mu-Gun gladly accepted. The two sparred in the training hall. Mu-Gun adjusted his skills so that Won-Hyo could unleash his martial arts as much as he wanted at first. After observing all of Won-Hyo’s martial arts, he went on the offensive and pushed Won-Hyo back helplessly with overwhelming martial prowess. The latter soon admitted defeat.
“Phew, I thought I would be able to stand against you to some extent now that I’ve advanced into the Upper Peak Realm, but it seems like I still have a long way to go,” Won-Hyo lamented.
“With all due respect, your internal energy has reached the Upper Peak Realm in terms of quantity, but you are still lacking when it comes to handling it. Your swordsmanship is in the same state.”
“Handling my internal energy? What do you mean by that?”
“The flow of your internal energy isn’t smooth enough when connecting each technique, and if you take a closer look, you’re not using your internal energy efficiently when executing your techniques. The key point to the 12 Heavenly Flame Blades is to properly distribute your speed and power. Depending on the technique used, you should freely adjust those two factors according to the situation. To do so, you have to handle your internal energy in a much more detailed and diverse manner.”
Using the techniques Won-Hyo displayed in their spar as an example, Mu-Gun spoke about the key points and told him about specific methods of handling his internal energy. As Won-Hyo listened, he realized that he had literally only scratched the surface of the 12 Heavenly Flame Blades this whole time while practicing the technique. Hence, he believed he could advance to a higher level than the Upper Peak Realm if he could operate his internal energy in a more detailed and diverse manner, just as Mu-Gun said.
On the other hand, he was astonished beyond belief by Mu-Gun’s insight, which pinpointed parts that he could not think of. Won-Hyo already knew that Mu-Gun was a genius in an entirely different league since he reached the Absolute Realm and created the 12 Heavenly Flame Blades and Heavenly Flame Origin Cultivation Method in his early twenties, but Mu-Gun’s talent still surprised him every time he saw him. He was truly one of the best of all time.
Mu-Gun’s talent made it seem possible for the Baek Sword Sect and the Zhejiang Martial Alliance to reach the highest position in murim. Won-Hyo was convinced that walking alongside Mu-Gun was the best for the Justice Martial Sect’s future. Hence, he decided to stand with the Baek Sword Sect no matter what happened in the future.
***
The day after giving the Heavenly Medicine Pill to Patriarch Jeong and checking his martial arts, Mu-Gun left the Justice Martial Sect and headed to the Flying Lance Sect. The patriarch had to go to Hangzhou for the martial arts tournament anyway, so he could have gone with Mu-Gun’s party, but he decided to choose a different path. He planned to pass through Quzhou, the Draconic Tiger Gang’s territory, to reach Hangzhou.
Patriarch Jeong wanted to stop by the Draconic Tiger Gang before going to Hangzhou so he could persuade them to support Baek Sword Sect’s Baek Cheon-Sang as the Zhejiang Martial Alliance leader. Mu-Gun didn’t request him to do that. Rather, he chose to do it himself. Determined to side with the Baek Sword Sect, he thought about how he could help Cheon-Sang become the Zhejiang Martial Alliance leader. That led him to his current decision.
Mu-Gun was satisfied to see Patriarch Jeong being proactive. It was solid proof that he would truly follow the Baek Sword Sect and would not betray the Baek Sword Sect in the future. Mu-Gun’s party arrived at the Flying Lance Sect three days after they left the Justice Martial Sect.
Like how it went with Jeong Won-Hyo, Mu-Gun gave the Heavenly Medicine Pill to Jo Jin-Myeong, the Flying Lance Sect patriarch, and examined his martial arts. Likewise, Jin-Myeong also received Mu-Gun’s advice and gained a great level of enlightenment. He was also convinced that following the Baek Sword Sect was the best option for the Flying Lance Sect. Just like that, Mu-Gun brought the Justice Martial Sect and the Flying Lance Sect to their side.
After finishing everything he wanted to do at the Flying Lance Sect, Mu-Gun and company immediately left for Wenzhou instead of Hangzhou since it was much faster to go to Wenzhou and travel by sea than by land. Jin-Myeong and the other martial artists of the Flying Lance Sect traveled to Wenzhou with Mu-Gun’s group since they had to go to Hangzhou anyway.
During their journey to Wenzhou, Mu-Gun sparred with Ho-Gun, Won-Yee, and the Six White Wolves individually whenever he had time. He used those opportunities to check their martial arts as well. Under Mu-Gun’s intensive guidance, their skills grew rapidly.
Won-Yee’s abilities surprised Flying Lance Sect's patriarch Jin-Myeong. He had improved beyond recognition. The latter was very grateful to Mu-Gun. He heard from Won-Yee that Mu-Gun gave him a Hundred Herb Pill. Though it paled in comparison to the Heavenly Medicine Pill, the Hundred Herb Pill was already extremely rare. The fact that Mu-Gun gave the Heavenly Medicine Pill and the Hundred Herb Pill to Jin-Myeong and Won-Yee respectively showed how important Mu-Gun and the Baek Sword Sect regarded the Flying Lance Sect. Jin-Myeong thought he made the right choice supporting the Baek Sword Sect and entrusting Won-Yee to Mu-Gun. He was so excited to see what would become of the Flying Lance Sect, which would grow with the Baek Sword Sect.
Mu-Gun and the Flying Lance Sect party arrived in Wenzhou three days after leaving the Flying Lance Sect. They stayed at the Baek Sword Sect for a night, then headed to Hangzhou by boat the very next day. There were two ships bound for Hangzhou. One carried the Baek Sword Sect and Flying Lance Sect’s warriors, while the other was the Eun Merchant Group’s ship.
By chance, the Eun Merchant Group also had to go on a mercantile journey to Hangzhou. As they traveled with the ship that carried the Baek Sword Sect and Flying Lance Sect’s martial artists, the two sects naturally escorted them. Eun Ye-Sang was part of the Eun Merchant Group’s party heading to Hangzhou. Before arriving in Hangzhou, Ye-Sang tried to attract Mu-Gun’s attention by creating an opportunity to bump into him whenever there was a chance.
Despite her efforts, Mu-Gun showed no interest in her. Although Ye-Sang’s pride was hurt, she refused to yield. If there was something she wanted, she had to get it no matter what. Hence, she was determined to make Mu-Gun hers. However, considering Mu-Gun’s attitude toward her, it seemed unlikely.
Just in case of a pirate ambush, the Baek Sword Sect and the Flying Lance Sect were on high alert on their way to Hangzhou. The Four Seas Gang had recently expanded their region of activities to the Sea Dragon Gang’s territory. As a result, they regularly appeared in the sea near Zhejiang Province. They didn’t show up, however, fortunately allowing the Baek Sword Sect and the Flying Lance Sect to arrive in Hangzhou safely.
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