Sichuan's Mad Dragon (Novel) - Chapter 178 - Return Home

Chapter 178 – Return Home

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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Edited by Celestial Knight

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Ju-seong explored the properties of fire poison. It wasn’t actually hot, but when it touched soft flesh, it caused terrible burns.

Moreover, when it encountered internal energy, its characteristic volatility showed a dispersing effect.

In other words, no poison was better for fighting martial artists.

Other poisons could be blocked by sealing off meridians with internal energy, but this fire poison wasn’t so easily stopped.

‘Because it gnaws through even the energy blocking the meridians as it burrows in.’

This was the very poison that Jang Hwa-rin had coated on his sword to torment Ju-seong at the Ascending Dragon Assembly.

At the time, Ju-seong had overcome it by converting the Poison Accumulation Art to an active technique… a feat only a genius could accomplish.

‘Fire poison… Poison is inherently sinister, but I haven’t forgotten my master’s teachings.’

Poison could become medicine, and medicine could become poison. Sometimes the most virulent poison became an irreplaceable precious ingredient.

Ju-seong had Yi Pyo-eum sit cross-legged on a bed and instructed her to meditate without circulating energy.

“Absolutely do not circulate energy. There’s a risk of qi deviation.”

Yi Pyo-eum nodded calmly and sank into meditation.

Ju-seong observed the eye movements beneath her eyelids and thought.

‘Indeed, martial artists skilled in energy techniques are also good at meditation.’

Martial artists were generally accustomed to meditation since it was fundamental to energy circulation.

But among them, practitioners who deeply immersed themselves in qi itself, using energy techniques as their main martial art, had an especially pronounced aptitude.

‘Probably because they need to explore their mental imagery in detail.’

While other martial arts allocated more training time to physical movement, energy techniques required an overwhelming proportion of meditation-based cultivation.

Ju-seong knew Yi Pyo-eum had completely entered a state of no-self and slowly took out his needles.

With his toes dipped into the super-peak realm these days, Ju-seong was gaining enlightenment.

Ju-seong was gaining a certain enlightenment about qi.

‘Perhaps it’s not empty talk that all things are qi.’

Martial artists inhaled the spiritual energy flowing through heaven and earth, making it their own.

This was called accumulating qi. Just as eating food fattened the flesh, martial artists absorbed spiritual energy to strengthen their spirit.

But now, with his sense of qi having advanced, Ju-seong realized he couldn’t limit ‘qi’ to just the spiritual energy scattered through heaven and earth or a martial artist’s internal energy.

‘Especially after absorbing the fire poison, this realization became even clearer.’

Wood burns down to ash, yet its volume clearly decreases.

Then where did the burned wood go?

Did the burned log simply vanish from this world?

‘No.’

The wood transformed into heat energy and dispersed through heaven and earth… meaning the wood had become heavenly spiritual energy.

Then if he used that heat to warm soup?

‘I’d like some piping hot fish soup.’

The heat from burning wood would nourish the body of the person drinking that soup.

This meant invisible energy had become tangible substance again.

With such free conversion between qi and matter, perhaps the two were in some sense the same thing.

Ju-seong refocused on Yi Pyo-eum before him.

Yi Pyo-eum felt Ju-seong’s fingertips touch her headscarf.

‘Ah…!’

Even in sparring, she’d guarded her forehead with almost obsessive dedication. An unremovable scar was hidden there.

But now she was entrusting it to someone trustworthy, so Yi Pyo-eum suppressed the urge to bat his hand away with a palm strike.

Ju-seong’s hands were surprisingly soft for a martial artist’s.

In fact, Ju-seong regularly filed away the calluses that formed on his hands to maintain his sensitivity for hidden weapons.

To those who saw calluses as proof of diligent training, Ju-seong’s hands would look like the height of laziness.

Yet hidden in those soft hands were years of bitter training.

The internal energy rising from Ju-seong’s dantian to reach the sharp tip of his needle glowed faintly.

Ju-seong pushed his Celestial Eye to its limits to enhance his vision.

‘Hopefully my eyes don’t bulge grotesquely like that Forget-Sorrow Arrow bastard I met on the Yangtze.’

About a year ago on the Yangtze, Ju-seong had met a Night Guest named Forget-Sorrow Arrow.

He’d used a bizarre eye technique that flattened or bulged his eyeballs to enhance his vision.

Fortunately, Celestial Eye was a sublime ability that worked on the upper dantian. It didn’t physically affect the eyeballs.

Ju-seong observed the fine hairs fluttering on Yi Pyo-eum’s forehead and the pores beneath.

His cold iron needle entered precisely through one of those pores.

“Mmph.”

Yi Pyo-eum’s body trembled slightly at the sensation of something sharp piercing her skin, but she relaxed her shoulders when warm energy spread through her forehead.

Ju-seong saw grayish-black smoke rising around where he’d inserted the needle, the tattoo fading, and smiled with satisfaction.

‘This actually works.’

A technique that combined fire poison and the Flame Crow Six Stage Art, using condensed yang energy to burn away the ink forming the tattoo.

Only someone excelling in medicine, martial arts, AND poison techniques could perform this feat.

“Poke, poke.”

Before he knew it, Ju-seong was muttering aloud as he continued the procedure.

* * *

The Blood Flower Crone’s main hall.

“So, did you obtain everything you wanted?”

The Blood Flower Crone’s eyes still blazed, her body still decrepit, just as before.

Ju-seong thought that old woman would probably stay that way for a hundred or two hundred years.

Ju-seong bowed his head and spoke.

“Thanks to the Sect Master’s ocean-deep grace, I was able to preserve peace in jianghu.”

“Peace in jianghu, you say.”

The Blood Flower Crone scoffed coldly.

“Winds of war are already rising in the east, yet you speak of peace. What a carefree young man.”

By ‘east,’ she meant the eastern part of Jiangnan… meaning Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and such regions.

The evil path there was already stirring.

“Throughout history, the righteous path has never been broken by the demonic forces. Since we’ve defended Guangxi, what variable could there be?”

Ju-seong boasted confidently despite his own uncertainty. Would this Orthodox-Demon War be like previous ones?

Unlike before, ancient demonic forces that had fallen long ago were now rising again.

The Blood Flower Crone spoke quietly.

“Guizhou will remain a coiled dragon as before, but…”

The old woman paused briefly before continuing.

“You have rendered kindness to two of my daughters, and kindness to my close friend.”

Compared to what the Crimson Spider Sect had done for Ju-seong, his kindness to them was greater.

The Blood Flower Crone decided to offer Ju-seong some leads in recognition.

“Since ancient times, the demonic hordes have lurked in the Western Regions between Tianzhu and the Central Plains.”

Ju-seong thought of Journey to the West, the popular novel of the current era. The adventures of Master Xuanzang and his animal companions. How much they’d suffered on their way to Tianzhu for Buddhist scriptures.

The path swarmed with all manner of monsters.

There probably weren’t actual demons and monsters… more likely evil practitioners who’d learned wicked martial arts.

The Blood Flower Crone continued quietly.

“You should also be wary of the west. Perhaps the great uprising of the evil path in the east is but a feint.”

“The Western Regions… Understood.”

Ju-seong had a suspicion of his own. He’d completely forgotten until now, but there was speculation that the Cradle of the Demonic Path’s headquarters was in Xinjiang.

Xinjiang was barren land far to the northwest of Sichuan.

He’d been so focused on the eastern Jiangnan forces that he’d forgotten entirely, but the Blood Flower Crone’s topic helped him remember.

Ju-seong bowed deeply to express his thanks.

“My eyes have been opened thanks to the Sect Master.”

Even as he spoke, Ju-seong’s mind was complicated.

‘Who’s going to stop them there? The Kunlun Sect?’

The Kunlun Sect was part of the Seven Sects and Three Families, but their external activities were extremely rare. Located so far from the Central Plains, they might as well be considered a frontier sect.

Ju-seong wondered how strong they were, and whether they could actually stop the demonic path if Xinjiang’s demons stirred.

With such complicated feelings, Ju-seong left the main hall to find his companions from this journey waiting for him.

Surprisingly, Black Pig was not among them. Ju-seong had wanted to bring Black Pig along as someone to tease, since he’d parted ways with Red Beggar.

But unexpectedly, Won-gong had blocked this, declaring he would take Black Pig with him.

[Black Pig is like a child. Children naturally grow to resemble those they follow, and while Benefactor Ju-seong’s intentions are upright, his temperament is quite violent.]

In other words, Ju-seong had the heart for righteousness but too much killing intent, making him a concern for Black Pig’s development.

[Rather, I shall teach him the Buddha’s teachings and correct his warped heart.]

[Black Pig doesn’t want to read books! Doesn’t want to memorize text!]

Black Pig had wailed pitifully, but Won-gong’s will was firm.

[You don’t need to memorize text. If you recite without grasping the true meaning, that’s called empty chanting. Just accompany me and share in what I do… that will suffice.]

[AAAGH! Captain Ju-seong, save me! Black Pig hates baldies!]

[…Hoho, Namu Amitabha Buddha.]

Black Pig was mercilessly subdued by Won-gong before following him with slumped shoulders.

Thus those waiting to see Ju-seong off were only Eight-Hook Ghost, Yi Pyo-eum, Yang So-an, and Heuk-wol.

There was also one man he’d never seen before.

Tall and robust. Deep-set features with a thick beard. Above all, his eyes were especially striking. Even thrown among countless people, his eyes alone would make him stand out.

Could this be how Lü Bu, called the Lü Bu Among Men, appeared in the late Han?

“I am Gongsun Su, the eldest foster son of the Grand Mother.”

“Oh. Nice to meet you.”

When Ju-seong raised his cupped fists in casual speech, Gongsun Su’s brow creased ever so slightly.

He’d apparently expected to receive formal speech. Ju-seong was also quick to pick up on such displays of dominance and formed his judgment.

‘What a prick.’

Someone older demanding respect from a first meeting? And his martial arts didn’t look any better than Ju-seong’s own.

Despite appearances, he was an impressive figure. He too seemed to be peeking at Three Flowers Gathering at barely his mid-twenties.

“I came because I heard you did my younger siblings a favor. Wanted to at least make your acquaintance.”

He said this while looking Ju-seong up and down before slowly speaking.

“I heard you were offered to become Mother’s son.”

Ju-seong shrugged.

“That was refused ages ago. I have a master I regard as a parent.”

Gongsun Su narrowed his eyes and nodded slowly in satisfaction.

Apparently confirming whether Ju-seong would become a foster son had been his purpose.

“Mm, well, there’s nothing interesting to do in this backwater. Right?”

He tried to make a joke while turning to seek agreement from his siblings, but they each just shrugged disinterestedly or barely paid attention.

Apparently he didn’t have much popularity among his siblings.

Gongsun Su cleared his throat softly and asked again.

“So, you rescued that fellow Green Forest King of Guangxi. Never thought I’d live to see the Crimson Spider Sect helping the Green Forest. I hadn’t imagined such a thing during my seclusion.”

“‘That fellow,’ you say. That’s rather disrespectful to a senior of jianghu.”

Ju-seong suddenly became a very proper young man who valued etiquette as he delivered the reprimand. Righteous words were always most irritating to opponents.

Sure enough, Gongsun Su’s expression cracked again before he calmly dismissed it.

“Well then, travel safely. I hope your journey to Sichuan is peaceful.”

Ju-seong watched the departing Gongsun Su’s back and spoke.

“Lady Heuk-wol, why is that bastard so off-putting?”

Heuk-wol sighed.

“It would’ve been nice if all of the Grand Mother’s children got along and had good characters.”

“Lady Heuk-wol’s character isn’t exactly saintly either, but…”

“…”

Ju-seong had a brief staring contest with Heuk-wol before correcting himself.

“The point is, compared to everyone I’ve met here, that man reeks of being rotten.”

Of course, the man wore so much incense that even Heavenly Nose couldn’t detect anything specific.

But there was such a thing as animal instinct.

Heuk-wol sighed and said.

“The Grand Mother’s children have been fighting in two factions for a long time. Those of us who went to Guizhou are the ones who stayed neutral due to our individual strength, but the other sons and daughters are different.”

“That’s the first I’m hearing of this.”

Eight-Hook Ghost interjected.

“Heuk-wol. Young Hero Ju-seong may be a fine man, but he’s an outsider. Don’t further embarrass the Crimson Spider Sect’s name.”

Yang So-an also stepped forward and formally cupped his fists. This blind swordsman was always calm.

“Young Hero Ju-seong, it’s been an honor. Travel safely. I worry my elder brother may have laid obstacles along your return path.”

It was a roundabout warning that the vengeful might retaliate on his way home.

“Don’t worry. This entertainer’s feet have grown thick from walking tightropes… I can trample any pebbles and keep walking.”

Finally, Ju-seong turned to Yi Pyo-eum.

“Mm, with the headscarf off, you look so neat and pretty. Lady Pyo-eum has a blessed forehead.”

Yi Pyo-eum, eyes glistening, laughed incredulously before saying briefly.

“Please travel safely.”

Ju-seong nodded calmly.

“Traveling safely is my specialty.”

He planned to travel carefully indeed. But he had no intention of slowing down.

How long had it been since he’d set foot on Sichuan soil? He seemed to already feel that overcast weather and humid air.

Jiulong Mountain’s courtyard house already danced before his eyes.

‘I’m craving devilishly spicy chicken.’

Ju-seong smiled slightly and murmured inwardly.