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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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It went without saying, but in the Jianghu, the value of martial arts was immeasurable.
Fortunes were exchanged for them, lives were sacrificed for them.
Whenever a manual containing a lost technique surfaced, or a map leading to a hidden master’s secluded retreat was discovered, the Jianghu was thrown into turmoil.
Such was the value placed on martial arts.
If even ownerless techniques were so coveted, how much more so were those possessed by living masters?
When techniques of equal caliber were compared, the value of a personally held technique was even greater.
Martial artists would rather die than have their techniques stolen.
Those who dared to steal them became sworn enemies, marked for death.
This wasn’t limited to the secular world.
The Daoist and Buddhist sects, supposedly detached from worldly desires, were even more protective of their secrets.
Disciples who broke their vows or attempted to leave with their sect’s techniques were often crippled, their dantians sealed and meridians severed.
There was a reason why those who left their sects without authorization, taking their knowledge with them, were branded as enemies of the martial world.
Secret techniques were more valuable than life itself.
The Peng Family was no different.
To protect their traditions, they strictly forbade the sharing of their martial arts with outsiders.
The Enforcement Hall existed solely to punish those who broke this taboo.
And yet…
“Are you saying… you’ll allow Ye-ryeong to learn your secret technique?”
Muyong Hye couldn’t believe it, so she asked again.
No one in this room understood the gravity of sharing a secret technique more than she did.
She was originally from the Muyong Family.
When her marriage to the Peng Family was arranged, they’d placed a restriction on her.
They couldn’t cripple her, a fellow clan member, so they’d used esoteric techniques to seal a portion of her power.
And that was for a family member.
What was Peng Ye-ryeong to Namgung-Woo?
A stranger.
If he were just an ordinary martial artist, she might have understood.
‘Ah, he wants to become a part of our family.’
Offering one’s martial arts in exchange for marriage into a prestigious family. It wasn’t unheard of.
But did he need to do that?
He was only twenty-six, maybe even younger….a master of the Transcendent Realm, perhaps even beyond, at such a young age.
What value did the Peng Family hold for him? Not much, she suspected. It wasn’t worth sacrificing his secret technique.
‘The White Path’s greatest prodigy… how old was Ha Gyeong-jin when he reached the Transcendent Realm?’
The pillar of the Qingcheng Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects.
The prodigy who’d single-handedly revived their declining fortunes.
He’d reached the Spirit Harmony Realm at thirty. Perhaps he was the only one comparable to this young man.
‘So, he doesn’t want to become a mere member of the Peng Family. He could become the Emperor’s son-in-law if he wanted.’
Pure altruism.
True chivalry, a rarity even in the Righteous Path.
While Muyong Hye was speechless with shock, Peng Ja-ryeong, ever the pragmatist, sought a reason.
“Why?”
He couldn’t believe it. He wanted to believe it, but he couldn’t.
He wouldn’t do it himself. If asked to choose between his family’s martial arts and saving a stranger, he’d choose the former.
“Your technique… it must be a powerful secret art. You would share such a technique… to save a stranger?”
“Yes.”
He wasn’t a martial artist at heart. Despite his efforts to adapt to this world, he was still a modern man. To him, martial arts were just a tool.
If they weren’t, he wouldn’t have taught the Thirteen Lightning Sword Techniques to the Yang brothers.
He wasn’t ignorant of the value of martial arts. He wouldn’t just give them away to anyone.
But…
“Is it that precious?”
“…What do you mean?”
“Is a martial art more valuable than a life you can save?”
“…That…”
‘It’s obvious, isn’t it?’
Peng Ja-ryeong was about to say as much, but he stopped, realizing the implications of his own question.
The demeanor of a true hero.
He’d abandoned such noble sentiments, justifying his actions with the need to protect his family.
Perhaps the title of “Lord,” which he’d claimed for himself, was more fitting for this young man.
“Even I wouldn’t teach just anyone any technique. I’m fortunate. Of all the techniques I’ve mastered, this is the only one I can share with the Peng Family.”
‘The only one I can share with the Peng Family.’
Perhaps only the Yang brothers understood the true meaning of those words.
It wasn’t a Namgung Family technique, but one he’d learned independently.
The Peng Family might suspect he had other affiliations, but they wouldn’t know the details.
But did it matter?
He was still sharing his secret technique.
“Mother!”
“Madam!”
Gasps echoed through the room.
Muyong Hye, still seated in formal posture, bowed deeply, her forehead touching the floor.
She couldn’t look him in the eye, not after he’d offered such a precious gift to save her daughter.
“…Please… as you wish, Benefactor.”
“Please rise. I can’t accept this.”
“I’m ashamed to say, Benefactor, that the head of our family is away. I can’t make any promises on behalf of the Peng Family. But I, Muyong Hye, give you my word. I will never forget this kindness.”
He gave up on trying to raise her and decided to end the awkward situation.
“That is enough.”
Muyong Hye, the matriarch of a prestigious family, bowing before him to save her daughter. And he, refusing any talk of repayment, the epitome of a true hero.
Their actions moved the onlookers to tears, some clenching their fists to contain their emotions.
Peng Ha-ryeong gazed at him, her eyes glistening with tears.
Even Peng Ja-ryeong, his face filled with admiration, lowered his head.
And then, as always, Peng Ye-ryeong broke the spell.
“So, I’m your disciple now?”
He chuckled and gently removed her hands from his head.
“Disciple? Just call me fellow student.”
He hadn’t had a master for this particular technique.
They were surprised he’d share a technique without establishing a formal teacher-student relationship.
But Ye-ryeong had a different question.
“Um… can you tell me… what it’s called?”
“You can speak casually.”
“Oh, tell me its name.”
He had no reason to hide the name.
Despite the audience, he readily revealed it.
“The Ethereal Void Divine Art.”
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The day after his seclusion ended, Namgung-Woo returned to the training hall.
But this time, he wasn’t alone. Peng Ye-ryeong was with him.
Despite living in the estate, it was her first time in the training hall, and she looked around curiously.
She didn’t seem nervous about the impending transmission of the technique that could change her fate.
“Let’s begin. Focus.”
“Okay.”
He’d said those words, but he hesitated, unsure where to place his hands.
It was an upper dantian technique, so he should probably touch her head…
“Should I hold your head?”
It seemed a bit awkward, but they were alone.
He reached for the Baihui acupoint at the crown of her head, but she caught his wrist.
“You said it’s best to be near the Third Eye acupoint, right?”
“Right.”
“Then wouldn’t it be better to touch foreheads?”
“Foreheads?”
It wasn’t a bad idea.
Touching foreheads, like when checking for a fever, would bring their Third Eye acupoints close together.
It would be easier to transmit the technique than trying to cover her Baihui acupoint with his hand.
‘But isn’t that a bit… intimate?’
It seemed silly to worry about propriety in a life-or-death situation, but still, there were social conventions.
She was fourteen, much younger than his twenty-six years of life.
Even though she wasn’t a romantic interest, the idea of touching foreheads with someone he barely knew felt strange.
Perhaps she sensed his hesitation.
She pushed his hand aside, took hold of his head, and pulled him closer, pressing her forehead against his.
“Focus.”
He stared at her, momentarily stunned, her words echoing his thoughts.
Her clear, bright eyes held no trace of shyness, only unwavering determination.
He saw his own reflection in her dark pupils.
They were incredibly close.
Her skin was so smooth, so flawless, like porcelain, that he couldn’t see her pores, though they were close enough that one could normally notice every detail.
‘I need to use my Ever-Clear Vision… but I can still see her meridians, so it’s fine.’
Even his Ever-Clear Vision didn’t provide a 360-degree view, but his field of vision was wider than normal.
So, he could clearly see the flow of Qi in her head.
“I’ll begin. I’ll recite the mantra. Listen carefully and absorb the Qi flowing into your upper dantian.”
“Okay.”
He focused his intent on the Ethereal Void Divine Qi in his upper dantian.
It was a unique energy, distinct from his other Qi, and controlling it required considerable mental effort.
Speaking while manipulating this Qi was challenging even for him.
“Ethereal Void means emptying the mind. But it doesn’t mean losing consciousness. Fullness leads to emptiness, emptiness leads to fullness. Like the tides of the sea, the phases of the moon, the cycle of seasons. The world is a constant ebb and flow, empty yet not empty. Understand that form and emptiness are one.”
Ethereal Void.
Emptying the mind.
And in the emptiness, a new spirit would take root.
“Indistinct and formless, this is the Primordial state. Gather your intent and condense it into a single Qi. Thus, the Postnatal is born, and the Postnatal is pure and tranquil.”
Indistinct and formless.
Free from desire, its form is fluid.
Pure and tranquil.
Like a still well, clear and deep, the unified Qi, though empty, becomes the source.
“Qi is emptiness, and within emptiness lies truth. Pure tranquility is not nothingness, but existence. Existence is emptiness, and emptiness is existence.”
The Ethereal Void Divine Qi flowed through their joined foreheads, connecting their upper dantians.
Thoughts and sensations flowed across the bridge of Qi.
“The Primordial Qi is indistinct, empty, and still. Qi is inherently static, thus yin.”
She had intentionally kept her upper dantian empty.
Accumulating Qi would only accelerate the opening of her Celestial Gate.
She already understood emptiness.
Now, he would fill that emptiness with the Postnatal Qi.
“Therefore, this cultivation is the cultivation of Ethereal Void.”
The Ethereal Void Divine Qi circulated through their joined heads, following the same path.
And the moment it reached her Baihui acupoint, their consciousnesses soared into a higher realm.
At that moment, they both saw it.
The scene of Beijing, consumed by flames.
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Thanks chaos!