Chapter 160: An Unexpected Realization

Yong Hwarin met Cheong Geonmin for the first time today.

It was disappointing to know that in his previous life, Cheong Geonmin had been the spouse of Jegal Cheongyeong. In terms of martial arts, he wasn’t inferior to the other late-stage rising stars.

‘He definitely didn’t reveal all of his abilities. It felt like he was hiding something.’

Even so, Yong Hwarin didn’t think he would lose to Cheong Geonmin. However, he could tell that Cheong Geonmin had been testing him.

He especially realized that when he saw the expressions of Cheong Geonmin’s escort guards who had been observing from the back. It was clear that Cheong Geonmin had not shown his full strength.

‘Maybe Cheong Geonmin sees me as a rival, or perhaps he’s taking out his frustration because I was once engaged to Yeong Mae. If that’s the case, he’s not as magnanimous as he seems.’

Even aside from having once been engaged to Jegal Cheongyeong, it was clear from an objective standpoint that Cheong Geonmin fell short compared to her.

‘I don’t know how their relationship will progress in the future, but I should keep an eye on Cheong Geonmin.’

To Yong Hwarin, Jegal Cheongyeong now felt more like a younger sister, yet here he was entertaining unnecessary thoughts.

After dinner, Yong Hwarin suddenly asked Jeong Minji, who was next to him.

“Lady Namgung is nowhere to be seen.”

Namgung Yoo, who had either frequently visited him or spent time with Jeong Minji, had not appeared all day.

Jegal Cheongyeong had long since left, saying she was going to speak with Cheong Geonmin.

“Hmph, now that the other ladies have all found their partners, are you finally starting to notice Lady Namgung?”

Hearing Jeong Suji’s rare nagging from beside him, Yong Hwarin realized he had completely forgotten about the existence of the Three Blossoms and Three Heroes.

“Hahaha, I heard your second sister has been getting along well with Young Master Namgung lately. Has he been treating her well? He always seemed clueless when it came to women.”

“Hmph, you’re not much better, are you, Young Master Yong?”

As Jeong Suji spoke, she slightly blushed, which made Yong Hwarin smile.

Seeing that the two were about to argue further, Jeong Minji stepped in.

“Lady Namgung seems to be busy with something right now. It looked like she was working on some research.”

Yong Hwarin already knew that the Namgung Clan had been internally busy dealing with the aftermath of their conflict with Ihwa Seonja.

They were probably still debating whether to resolve this matter within the Namgung Clan or escalate it to the entire Namwoong Alliance.

It was also obvious they were deliberating on how to deal with Ihwa Seonja.

Since there was no sign of Jegal Yohye or Jegal Yeongcheon, Yong Hwarin could only assume that intense discussions were still ongoing among the Namgung Clan’s leadership.

Yong Hwarin, as usual, refused all visitors after dinner and closed his room to focus on Circulation of Qi.

He had taken this measure since visitors had been coming late into the night.

Many had come after being impressed by Yong Hwarin’s martial arts, or simply because his growing fame made them eager to meet him in person.

Even some elders of the Namgung Clan or parents with daughters of marriageable age had visited at least once.

It was because having someone who could potentially become a top martial artist as a son-in-law was a great opportunity.

Because of this, Yong Hwarin used his Qi cultivation as an excuse to turn visitors away.

Using the excuse of being busy, he hadn’t properly managed the internal energy that had been depleted from several days of intense battles.

Before he knew it, Yong Hwarin had entered a deep state of Qi circulation through the Tai Chi Profound Heavenly Sutra.

Later that night, Jegal Cheongyeong, who had finished her conversation with Cheong Geonmin and visited Yong Hwarin’s room, heard that he had already begun his Qi cultivation and quietly turned away with a lonely heart.

‘I already know his heart has drifted away like that of a stranger, but if I don’t try to hold onto him, I feel like I’ll deeply regret it later. If only I had felt this way sooner, I wouldn’t have suffered this heartache.’

Though it was too late, she still didn’t want to give up.

Jegal Cheongyeong let out a long sigh as she gazed at the sky slowly darkening.

“Training is the best cure when you’re troubled.”

Jegal Cheongyeong headed to the training grounds.

“Is everything ready?”

“Yes, we’re awaiting your command.”

“Have you secured the location?”

“Yes, our subordinates have been fully briefed.”

“What’s the plan?”

At that, a young man in scholar’s robes standing beside the man began to speak.

“First, a hundred members of the Dark Demon Shadow Squad will attack the guest building where the Namgung Clan’s young masters are staying. This will force the Namgung Clan to focus all their forces there for defense. Then, another hundred members of the Dark Demon Shadow Squad will kidnap Ihwa Seonja and the daughter of the Demonic Master. Since the squad attacking the young masters will continue their assault until they receive the retreat signal, the Namgung Clan won’t be able to spare any forces to rescue Ihwa Seonja or the Demonic Master’s daughter.”

“Good. It doesn’t matter if the young masters of the clan are killed.”

“I’ve already instructed them to attack with full force.”

“What’s their current level of vigilance?”

“Since they never expected anyone to dare attack the Namgung Clan, their guard is no different from usual. A hundred members of our Dark Demon Shadow Squad could even rescue hostages from Shaolin without any issues.”

“Exactly. Who would expect anyone to attack the Namgung Clan? We have to strike at that complacency. If the squad I’ve nurtured with such care were to fall easily to the Namgung Clan, it would make no sense.”

“Yes, First Young Master. If you manage to make up for Third Young Master’s failure this time, you will gain a favorable advantage in the race to become the heir.”

“That’s why we must succeed in extracting Ihwa Seonja and the Demonic Master’s daughter. Once the moon is high in the sky, we attack. Remember, our goal is not to fight the Namgung Clan but to retrieve the little lady and the Demonic Master’s daughter. Do not forget that.”

“Yes, my lord.”

The man called First Young Master smiled pleasantly as he watched the large full moon rise.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen the full moon so clearly.”

First Young Master murmured as he gazed down at the Namgung Clan’s estate.

Just as Yong Hwarin was catching his breath after completing a full cycle of the Great Circulation of Qi, he felt the energy in the Qi Sea and the Dantian at the base of the sternum fill to the brim.

In that moment, something pierced through his mind like lightning—a realization.

It was a realization born from reflecting on the shortcomings and improvements he had experienced in his recent battles.

Having learned the Flicking Finger Technique from the Demonic Master and having experienced a new realm by extending the Dragon Scale Finger with the dual energies from his Tai Chi Dantian, Yong Hwarin found himself driven toward yet another realization.

His recent battles had provided the catalyst for this understanding.

Yong Hwarin had not yet fully deciphered the Tai Chi Profound Heavenly Sutra.

He had only managed to interpret about half of it. The remaining parts were so profound that he couldn’t even begin to approach them with his current martial knowledge.

The Tai Chi Profound Heavenly Sutra divided martial cultivation into three stages. The first of these was called the Yin-Yang Realm.

‘The Immortal Master said that truly achieving the Yin-Yang Realm allows one to understand humanity and reach the level where one can distinguish the nature of all things. If I were to define my current state, I’d say I’ve reached the Yin-Yang Realm.’

However, he still hadn’t fully understood why this Yin-Yang Realm was also referred to as the Realm of Self-Existence.

He had created the Yin Dantian and Yang Dantian in his Tai Chi Dantian, and through cultivating the two types of Qi, he could consider himself to have reached the Yin-Yang Realm.

The second stage was the Inner-Outer Realm, which Yong Hwarin had so far only contemplated in theory.

Unlike the Yin-Yang Realm, which came with detailed formulas and instructions, the Tai Chi Profound Heavenly Sutra provided no formulas for the Inner-Outer Realm—only vague explanations.

Because of that, he didn’t know how to approach it.

Yet through his recent battle, Yong Hwarin had come closer to that realm.

It was said that attaining the Inner-Outer Realm allowed one to transcend humanity and step into the realm of superhuman existence, though he couldn’t yet grasp what that truly meant.

‘The Sutra also calls the Inner-Outer Realm the Realm of Emptiness, but I have no idea what that even means.’

Yong Hwarin had mobilized all his knowledge—Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist—but he still couldn’t grasp the connection between “inner and outer” and “emptiness.”

The Sutra named the final stage the Life and Death Realm.

But it also described this as the Realm of Intent and Form, leaving the relationship between these terms ambiguous.

Even the common words “life and death” seemed to carry a deeper, non-literal meaning as the final stage of the Tai Chi Profound Heavenly Sutra.

‘The Immortal Master said that reaching the Life and Death Realm allows one to attain the level of an Immortal.’

And Yong Hwarin believed that Zhang Sanfeng had likely ascended to immortality after reaching that very realm.

The final verse describing the Life and Death Realm or Realm of Intent and Form had left a particularly deep impression on him.

‘This Realm of Intent and Form can only be completed by returning to the human state of grasping solidity.’

Clearly, the Immortal Master had left this deliberately vague, proving that he had never intended the Sutra to be widely spread.

With such obscure instructions, it was impossible for anyone to fully comprehend the Life and Death Realm.

Even if the Tai Chi Profound Heavenly Sutra had become known to the world, no one would have been able to reach the final stage.

As soon as more than three cycles of Qi filled his Tai Chi Dantian, his true energy suddenly began to churn. The two energies intertwined and started to merge.

As Yin and Yang merged, Yong Hwarin experienced something entirely new.

‘Unbelievable… this energy is moving on its own without my will. How is this possible?’

At that moment, Yong Hwarin felt like he had finally understood why the Immortal Master had called the Yin-Yang Realm the Realm of Self-Existence.

‘When the two energies existed separately as Yin and Yang, they functioned as individual energies. But now that they have merged, they seem to possess life, moving with vitality on their own. This is what the Immortal Master meant by the Realm of Self-Existence. And to achieve this, both Dantians had to be filled to the brim with true energy. Only when they were overflowing could Yin and Yang meet and give birth to life-like vitality on their own. In a way, the Tai Chi Dantian is like nurturing another living being within my body.’

Overwhelmed with joy from this new realization, Yong Hwarin shed silent tears. Even more astonishingly, the energy began to move on its own, healing damaged meridians and clearing blocked ones.

It was like self-healing.

The energy gently flowed through even the smallest capillaries.

Yong Hwarin’s body trembled from the ecstasy of it.

The energy circulating through his body now flowed toward his fingers.

It moved to heal the meridians damaged during the battle with Ihwa Seonja when he had used the Finger Flick Technique.

What surprised him the most was that this energy prioritized healing the damaged meridians first.

‘Of course, Qi circulation can heal internal injuries, but this is on another level. It’s as if I’ve consumed an elixir and am undergoing mystical rejuvenation.’

He felt it as the energy worked on the Sangyang Point, Sosan Point, and Sotaek Point under his fingernails.

‘If this energy clears all the minor meridians in my fingers, I won’t need to insert a large needle under my fingernail when using the Finger Flick Technique.’

The reason he had to use a large needle was because the true energy couldn’t fully extend to the fingertips, stopping just short of the points under the nail.

But if this energy could clear all the fine meridians in his fingers, he could use the Finger Flick Technique without needing to puncture his nails.

Thrilled by this unexpected gain, Yong Hwarin felt as if he could fly to the heavens.

‘Wait… what’s happening?’

Suddenly, the energy that had cleared all the meridians in his fingers changed direction and moved toward the Laogong Point in his palms.

Yong Hwarin felt a jolt of shock inside.

The true energy began leaking out through the Laogong Points.

‘Why is the true energy suddenly escaping outside?’

As he pondered this, his thoughts drifted toward the second stage of the Tai Chi Profound Heavenly Sutra—the Inner-Outer Realm.

‘Could this be the way to reach the Inner-Outer Realm?’

Otherwise, there was no reason for the living, moving energy to suddenly flow outward on its own.

Yong Hwarin once again became fully immersed in the trance of Qi circulation.

But just then—

A sharp scream suddenly pierced into Yong Hwarin’s ears from somewhere.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep