Myst, Might, Mayhem (Novel) - Chapter 23 - Form of Attachment (2)

Chapter 23 – Form of Attachment (2)

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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-Can you feel it? That is the mystery of the Form of Attachment. It can draw anything in and make it adhere. Even qi is no exception.

“Qi?”

Was that what martial artists called internal power?

The Blue Spirit looked at Mok Gyeong-un with an expression of disbelief.

“You mean you did not know even that?”

At her reaction, Mok Gyeong-un shrugged.

Until not long ago, he had lived without even knowing what martial arts were.

‘So this was it.’

Yet this was surely the first time he had learned of it.

Then why did it feel as though this was not the first time he had felt it?

When he had first been poisoned by a poisonous herb, his grandfather had once gently stroked his back and abdomen.

‘…….Back then, it was warm like this too.’

It was not that his palm had felt warm. Just like now, the inside of his body had grown warm.

Could it be that his grandfather had also learned internal power?

A small doubt arose.

As he thought that, the warm energy entering through his palm, no, the thing called qi, soon began to feel cold.

Unlike before, it now felt chilly and foreign.

“It suddenly turned cold.”

-It turned cold?

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, the Blue Spirit tilted her head.

“Why is that?”

-Cold? Hmm. That shouldn’t be possible.

“It’s cold. Almost like……”

the distinctive death aura or yin energy emitted by the dead.

Mok Gyeong-un had lived close to death while killing numerous people to find the enemy who had killed his grandfather.

Because of that, he felt that this unique sensation was similar.

Soon, however, it stopped.

-Bulge!

The veins on the back of Mok Gyeong-un’s hand stood out.

Seeing that, the Blue Spirit nodded as if she understood and said,

-It must be because the energy has been exhausted. Hold your breath and stop using the Form of Attachment.

“All right.”

Remembering the sensation of stopping, Mok Gyeong-un held his breath and concentrated.

Then what had been getting sucked through his palm stopped, and the veins that had stood out subsided.

“Hoo.”

Having calmed the Form of Attachment like that, Mok Gyeong-un could feel something else.

It was that the qi that had entered his body was scattering rapidly.

“The warm energy is scattering?”

-The fundamental nature of qi is to scatter. You can think of it as the same as the air you breathe in, sentient being.

“Oh. So that’s how it is?”

-Why do you think those who practice martial arts cling to breath cultivation methods? It is to gather the qi scattered in the air they breathe in.

“Ah!”

Mok Gyeong-un looked interested at this basic knowledge about internal power, which he was learning for the first time.

It seemed martial arts were not something achieved by merely moving one’s body like ordinary physical techniques.

Mok Gyeong-un seemed to have realized something and asked the Blue Spirit,

“Then can the qi drawn in and attached by the Form of Attachment also be gathered the way breath cultivation methods gather qi?”

-Forget it.

“Pardon?”

-Even if you absorb another person’s qi with the Form of Attachment, you cannot make it your own.

“What do you mean, I can’t make it my own?”

-Qi, when dispersed like this, is one thing, but according to each sect’s breathing method, heart method, and qi circulation system, it gains unique properties.

“What is a property?”

-It means it takes on a distinct nature. But once it takes on that distinct nature, unless someone has adapted to it or trained for it, the dantian will not be able to endure it.

“Then what that means is…..”

-Yes. It means that no matter how much you absorb another person’s internal power, it can never become yours.

“Ah. That’s a little disappointing. I thought there might be a way to increase qi quickly.”

-Did you think the path to becoming a master would be so easy? Still, do not be too disappointed. The uses of the Form of Attachment are limitless.

At that, Mok Gyeong-un asked back in puzzlement,

“If the absorbed qi scatters away in the end, doesn’t that make it meaningless?”

-Even if the absorbed qi scatters, it still moves temporarily under the influence of the Form of Attachment, so it can be used. For example, concentrate that scattering qi in your fist.

“How do I do that?”

-With qi circulation…… Ah.

The Blue Spirit drew a pull from her smoking pipe with a dumbfounded look.

It seemed frustrating to her because Mok Gyeong-un truly knew absolutely nothing about martial arts.

Exhaling a thick cloud of smoke, she said,

-Hoo. To think this venerable one is sitting here teaching something like this.

“……….”

Mok Gyeong-un silently scratched his head.

-Tsk, tsk. Let us set aside difficult things like qi-circulation essentials and such. What matters is mental visualization.

“Mental visualization?

-Yes. If you remember how the energy moved when you took it in through the Form of Attachment a moment ago, concentrate on moving that same sensation to the part you want.

Mental visualization.

The Blue Spirit spoke of it casually, but this was a method used by experts who had reached a certain level when they sought a higher stage of advancement.

To contemplate the mind itself was mental visualization.

Strictly speaking, this was not a concept a complete beginner who had never learned martial arts could handle.

But Mok Gyeong-un had something different from ordinary people.

‘Extreme concentration.’

The Blue Spirit judged that Mok Gyeong-un possessed it.

She did not know whether his martial talent was outstanding or not, since he had not even begun martial arts, but that peculiar concentration of his was absurdly strong.

That was why she had told him to try mental visualization once.

‘Will it really work?’

He did not know the concepts of acupoints or qi-circulation essentials.

Yet this was the first time she had told someone to move true qi to a desired location through mental visualization alone.

If done wrong, it could cause qi deviation, but since the qi was not fixed in the dantian anyway and was scattering from the start, it was worth trying.

‘Mm.’

Mok Gyeong-un closed his eyes and focused on the scattering qi.

He recalled the sensation of how the qi had entered his body through the Form of Attachment in the first place.

Then in Mok Gyeong-un’s mind, the blood vessels running through his palm and wrist were drawn out.

‘Neiguan….. Wenyu….. Jimen….. Kongzui….. Shousanli….. Shaohai….. Hyeopbaek……’

Astonishingly, Mok Gyeong-un knew the acupoints and meridians.

This was because he had learned them from his grandfather along with herbal studies, to the point where he could remember them even with his eyes closed.

Because of that, Mok Gyeong-un was also able to recall the route by which the true qi he had taken in through the Form of Attachment had flowed and swollen his dantian.

‘Then in reverse……’

Following Qihai, Yinjiao, Hwangyu, Geo-gwol, Gumi, Seongi, and Yeomcheon, the warm energy moved.

The little energy that remained then headed backward toward his wrist through Gisa and Hyeopbaek.

The energy that reached the Neiguan of his wrist then condensed into his fist.

-Clench!

Mok Gyeong-un clenched his fist.

It felt as though some kind of force had gathered there.

‘With this kind of strength……’

Mok Gyeong-un walked over to the cave wall.

Then he slammed his fist, where the warm energy had gathered, into the wall.

-Boom! Jjeojeojeok!

At that moment, the area of the cave wall struck by Mok Gyeong-un’s fist caved in by about two finger joints, and cracks spread outward with a splitting sound.

‘Ho.’

So this was the power of internal energy?

-!?

At the sight, a strange light flashed in the Blue Spirit’s eyes.

She had not expected him to actually accomplish it in a single try.

Though she had called it mental visualization, moving internal energy was nearly impossible in the first place if one did not know the pathways of qi circulation.

Yet he had really done it.

‘…….Just what is this brat?’

The Blue Spirit was sincerely baffled.

She had seen many talented people in life, but this was the first time she had seen a brat who had never even encountered martial arts until the age of sixteen or seventeen yet still had instincts this sharp.

-Ha……..

What would this brat have been like if he had learned martial arts from childhood?

It was enough to make that question arise.

Then Mok Gyeong-un turned his head toward the Blue Spirit and said,

“I think I understand why people keep talking about martial arts, martial arts. If you learn something like this, it becomes much easier to kill people.”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s casual words, the Blue Spirit’s lips twitched for a moment.

This brat knew exactly what the essence of martial arts was.

All that talk about attaining the Dao through martial arts was nothing but nonsense.

The essence of martial arts was how efficiently one could kill an opponent.

The Blue Spirit put her smoking pipe in her mouth, folded her arms, and said,

-My first form, the Form of Attachment, is only the foundation of the Eight Forms of Mind-Breaking. Even mastering just one form properly would make its mysteries limitless.

“Excellent. I would like to properly learn these limitless possibilities. Can you teach me now, like you did just now?”

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, the Blue Spirit’s expression stiffened for a moment.

She had never intended to teach him this in the first place.

But she had grown carried away by Mok Gyeong-un’s absurd concentration and innate talent, and had unconsciously ended up talking too much.

-Ha, I almost let a sentient being like you trick me. You dare try to deceive this venerable one.

“Pardon?”

-As if this venerable one would do something to benefit you. Forget it.

“……..We’ll have to stay together anyway. Wouldn’t it be better to cooperate?”

-That will not happen.

Then she abruptly turned her head away again.

At the sight of her suddenly changing her attitude, Mok Gyeong-un shook his head.

“Blue Spirit?”

-……..

She did not even pretend to hear him.

It could not be helped.

Since he was not the type to go out of his way to placate someone, Mok Gyeong-un did not call the Blue Spirit any further.

He was more interested in this Eight Forms of Mind-Breaking.

If what the Blue Spirit said was true, then there were seven more forms besides this Form of Attachment, and yet how could that be possible with a mere thirty characters?

Whoever had created it, they were surely an extraordinary person.

But no matter how brilliant Mok Gyeong-un’s comprehension was, he still did not know much about martial arts, so it was difficult for him to create other formulas from the thirty characters any further.

‘What a pity.’

For now, it seemed he would have to be satisfied with the Form of Attachment.

He was not yet familiar with even this one, so if he studied it properly, it felt like it could be used in many ways.

Having sorted out his thoughts like that, Mok Gyeong-un was about to move to dispose of Jo Il-sang’s corpse.

However,

‘!?’

Mok Gyeong-un frowned and looked at the area below his navel.

‘What is this?’

He had not noticed it while the warm energy, no, the internal power absorbed from Jo Il-sang, was still present, but that cold energy was still there exactly as it was.

‘Why is this?’

Clearly the internal power had scattered, and now not even a trace of it remained.

Yet this cold energy remained just as it was.

Its quantity was far smaller than the internal power he had absorbed, but it remained exactly below his navel.

‘That’s strange.’

Even the Blue Spirit had not properly understood this cold energy.

He thought of asking her about it just in case, but soon stopped himself.

It did not seem likely she would answer him now anyway.

‘It isn’t bad to find out for myself.’

This kind of effort was an interest in itself.

The corner of Mok Gyeong-un’s mouth rose.

* * *

An empty room lit by only a single lamp.

-Clatter!

A one-eyed female martial warrior placed a pouch full of silver coins on the table.

She was Ho Aeng, a bodyguard warrior serving Madam Seok, the First Madam of Yeon Mok Sword Manor.

“This is consolation money sent by the First Madam.”

“………”

“As I said just now, if you can take care of the matter, she will pay four hundred silver coins.”

After saying that, she looked at the lamp on the table.

The lamp still had shown no reaction.

Perhaps it was because her colleague Myo-shin had died.

The woman who had been waiting opened her mouth.

“If this is not enough……”

-Whik!

She had not even finished speaking.

The lamp suddenly went out.

Seeing that, Ho Aeng swallowed and rose from her seat, then went outside.

The extinguishing of the lamp was the sign that the request had been accepted.

So there was no reason for her to remain.

-Tatatatak!

Walking out quickly, she looked up at the shabby building that seemed about to collapse.

This was Ghost Shadow Pavilion in Meng City, the base of the occult practitioner group.

Every time she came, she felt it, but just coming here gave her chills and made her feel uneasy.

She hurriedly mounted her horse.

Not long after she left, voices were heard from inside Ghost Shadow Pavilion.

“It must surely be kill.”

The first voice belonged to an old man.

Then a middle-aged man’s voice was heard.

“It is certain, Pavilion Lord.”

“As for that, New Moon, what do you think?”

At that question, a woman’s voice was heard.

“If it is certainly kill, then Junior Brother Myo-shin must have been eroded by a strange phenomenon. But the Third Young Master bothers me.”

“This Pavilion Lord feels the same. Kill is originally the act of imposing a curse or causing a resentful spirit to cling to someone. But they say a maid rose up at the Third Young Master’s call. That means…..”

“Isn’t it that he is controlling a resentful spirit?”

“Hmm. This is no ordinary matter.”

The reason they regarded this so seriously was this.

“If it was enough to make a maid rise and feed kill to her, then it is surely at least a Yellow Spirit class resentful spirit. Is it possible to command a resentful spirit of that level as a shikigami?”

Resentful spirits could not be commanded as shikigami.

That was the orthodox conclusion of occult practitioners.

Demons and monsters of all kinds or benevolent souls of beasts with pure essence could be used as shikigami, but fallen resentful spirits were beings to be exorcised or sealed.

“Resentful spirits are beings that cannot be commanded from the beginning. It may be that the Third Young Master has had his corporeal soul stolen by the resentful spirit instead.”

-Bang!

“If that is the case, then we can leave him alone even less. Pavilion Lord, leave it to me.”

“New Moon, you will go?”

“Yes. I will soothe Junior Brother Myo-shin’s resentful spirit as well and deal with the Third Young Master.”

At those words, the Pavilion Lord issued his command.

“I permit it. If it is you, who handles Gudiao as a shikigami, you will be able to exorcise it easily. Go.”

“I accept the Pavilion Lord’s command.”

With that reply, a beautiful woman with one white eye appeared from the darkness.

The woman who revealed herself naturally picked up the pouch of silver coins on the table.

* * *

-Thunk!

Gochan the guard, looking sleepy, brought a small brazier in front of Mok Gyeong-un’s bed.

Having stayed up almost all night keeping watch, he was exhausted.

When he had asked whether he could get a little sleep beside him now that dawn would soon break, he had been ordered to bring this, which left him somewhat irritated.

Gochan asked in puzzlement,

“Why did you tell me to bring this?”

“Because there’s something to burn.”

“Something to burn? If that’s all, you could just have ordered me to do it…..”

“Because I want to see whether it burns thoroughly.”

“What in the world are you trying to bu…….!?”

In an instant Gochan’s eyes widened.

What Mok Gyeong-un had pulled out was none other than,

[Wood-Into-Sword Secret Art]

itself.

‘S, so it really was true.’

It was true that through a strange phenomenon he had found out where the Manor Lord’s secret manual was hidden.

That Mok Gyeong-un was holding the Wood-Into-Sword Secret Art, the martial manual reserved for the Manor Lord alone.

Swallowing dryly, Gochan frowned.

“No, Young Master. Surely you are not planning to burn that?”

At Gochan’s anxious cry, Mok Gyeong-un gave a gentle smile and replied,

“I am going to burn it.”

At that, Gochan was startled and tried to dissuade him.

“B, burn it? Young Master, that thing in your hands is an exclusive secret manual that only the Manor Lord may practice. How could you…..”

“If I’m burning it, it must be because I need to, right?”

-Rip!

With those words, Mok Gyeong-un left only the cover and the second page of the Wood-Into-Sword Secret Art, then threw the rest of the secret manual into the brazier.

It happened before Gochan even had a chance to stop him.

-Whoosh!

Gochan looked at Mok Gyeong-un as if dumbfounded.

Did this madman really not know the importance of that secret manual?

Mok Gyeong-un said to him as if nothing had happened,

“Why are you looking at me like that? I don’t much like that look in your eyes.”

“…….Young Master. Even if you are at an age where it is hard to learn martial arts, if you have that, there should be some way to make use of it.”

“Which is exactly why I should burn it even more.”

“If you burn it, then how are you supposed to…..”

“It’s here.”

Mok Gyeong-un smiled and tapped his own head with his finger.

‘!?’

At that, Gochan’s eyes widened in shock.

Was he saying he had memorized the whole secret manual, and that was why he was burning it?

If so, he should have said so earlier.

Gochan had been shocked because he thought that precious secret manual was simply being destroyed.

He was about to say that when, this time, Mok Gyeong-un took out the Wood-Transforming Heart Cultivation Method secret manual and, just as he had done before, tore out everything except the cover and the first two pages, then threw it into the brazier.

-Whoosh!

At this, Gochan asked with a look that said he could not understand at all,

“No, what in the world are you doing?”

At this question, Mok Gyeong-un handed him the Wood-Into-Sword Binding Formula and the Wood-Transforming Heart Cultivation Method secret manuals, each left with only the cover and two pages of contents unburned.

“What am I supposed to do with these?”

“Take those secret manuals, one each, to the First Madam and the Second Young Master. Ah, when day breaks.”

“Pardon?”

“You just have to deliver them. Without saying anything.”

Gochan frowned.

Just what was this bastard trying to do?

He could not gauge his intentions at all.

But what could he do? His life itself had been taken hostage, so he had no choice but to do as ordered.

“…….Understood. Then before I go, may I at least get a little sleep until morning?”

“Go ahead.”

“Thank you.”

“Ah, I almost forgot. That bodyguard warrior the Second Young Master sent, I just killed him.”

“………..”

Gochan was instantly wide awake.

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