Sichuan's Mad Dragon (Novel) - Chapter 22 - Yellow Crow
Chapter 22 – Yellow Crow
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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Time flows like water.
It had already been over two years since Ju-seong arrived at the Divine Physician’s residence. Having arrived in late autumn, this was now the third winter.
He was twenty years old now. Before he knew it, Ju-seong had shed his greenhorn air and become a proper man.
He was focused on the Flame Crow Six Stage Art while being pelted directly by sleet. Each time he repeated the energy circulation, hot heat poured out.
He felt the snow that had accumulated on his back and crown of his head melting and trickling down.
In his dantian, a crow that had not yet gained its color was diligently preparing for metamorphosis.
The level was called Black Crow, but in reality it was not black energy but colorless energy. The level that the world called second-rate.
Upon leaping to first-rate, the limitation of needing to use techniques to emit energy outward would disappear. It was also a level where one could coat one’s weapon with qi to strengthen it.
And right now, Ju-seong was ready to pluck out all the black feathers and leap to a new level.
-Flutter.
The crow in his dantian moved its wings. The internal energy of the Flame Crow Six Stage Art swirled within his dantian, embracing it.
The colorless heat swirled and grew denser, and finally flames ignited on the crow’s wings and blazed.
-Whoosh!
Even though its feathers were burning, the crow continued to flap its wings ceaselessly. As if it were its destiny. As if it were the reason it had come into this world.
Its entire body became engulfed in flames, and the colorless heat that had been swirling around began to take on a yellowish color.
‘A yellow crow…’
Moving the deep yellow heat exactly along the circulation path of the Flame Crow Six Stage Art, he performed the Small Circulation. The intense heat tempered the blood vessels throughout his body.
-Sshaaaa…!
The snowflakes touching his body vaporized into steam.
Ju-seong half-opened his eyes and looked down.
‘Is this the aftereffect of breaking through to a new level?’
All the meridians in his body were emitting strong light, shining yellow through his skin. He raised his hand and lightly made a fist.
-Puff!
Yellow heat suddenly exploded outward, then swirled around his fist like a heat haze.
It was fist energy. Though still weak, he had arrived.
The level that the world called first-rate. From this level of first-rate, one could truly be called a master.
Coating one’s weapons with energy. That alone demonstrated power beyond human limits.
In other words, starting from this level of first-rate, one finally became a true thug of the martial world.
Also, the time Ju-seong had been scheduled to set out on his journey into the martial world was precisely when he entered the first-rate level.
Ju-seong’s right ear twitched slightly.
“Good morning, Young Lady.”
The approaching figure flinched.
“Huh! How did you know?”
“I told you I always keep it on.”
Ju-seong had already noticed her approaching.
He had lately been partially activating the function of the Celestial Hearing at all times.
Even without fully activating it, just maintaining it like this produced considerable training effects.
Wol-hyang, who had been carefully approaching step by step, stopped dead in her tracks and giggled.
“If I could use martial arts, you would not have noticed until I poked you in the side.”
Having said that, she trotted over and poked Ju-seong in the side.
“Trying to touch someone during energy circulation. What a wicked woman.”
He and Wol-hyang had grown quite close over time, to the point where they could exchange light jokes. Of course, she spent most of her time lying in bed, so he did not get to see her face often.
“Young Hero, congratulations on your achievement. It amazes me each time I see you develop anew. To reach first-rate in just two years of learning martial arts.”
“When I think about it, my own talent scares me.”
When he bragged a little, she covered her mouth and laughed. She was quite fond of Ju-seong’s shameless jokes.
“You said you would go out into the martial world when you reached first-rate? I will not see you often anymore.”
“That is right. It is a pity.”
“What? No, that… I will miss you too…”
She had a reddening face, and her quickening heartbeat was starkly audible through the Celestial Hearing.
By nature, human emotions are contagious, so Ju-seong also felt a warm sensation gathering in his own face.
‘Is this because of the Flame Crow Six Stage Art? There is no demonic art quite like this.’
* * *
Ju-seong went to find his master to report his achievement.
“Master, your outstanding disciple has reached the level of Yellow Crow.”
“Very good, to reach the first-rate level in just two years of learning martial arts, you must have had an excellent teacher to have such a great master.”
His master said this while watching his disciple raise yellow fist energy.
“Your martial arts will naturally contain powerful fire energy. This causes the blood vessels of opponents you face to boil, and has powerful explosive force relative to the amount of internal energy emitted.”
“I assume martial arts handling energies other than fire energy also have their own characteristics.”
At Ju-seong’s question, the Divine Physician nodded.
“Cultivation methods have various characteristics depending on the energy they are based on. Martial arts that handle yin energy slow the flow of energy within an opponent’s body, and cultivation methods based on wood energy among the Five Elements are excellent for healing.”
He and his master exchanged questions and answers about martial arts for about one period. His master moistened his throat with tea, then brought up the main topic.
“Disciple, now that you have placed a yellow crow in your dantian, it is time to go out into the martial world.”
“I remember. You told me to go into the martial world and find five poisonous creatures.”
“Yes. To be precise, you must find the most powerful and dangerous five, no, four creatures corresponding to the Five Elements.”
Ju-seong had a question and asked.
“Did you not say five before?”
“Yes. Originally, there are five poisonous creatures that go into the Three Talents Five Elements Pill. They are collectively called the Five Poisons.”
“Then why four?”
“Because one of them is already with us.”
At his master’s words, Ju-seong suddenly felt he understood.
“Could that one be the Poison-Feathered Bird?”
His master nodded.
“I will complete the Three Talents Five Elements Pill using the poison energy of the poison-feathered bird inside Young Lady Wol-hyang’s body. In the process, the poison in her will also be resolved.”
“If you can extract the poison from her, would it not be better to do it now?”
His master shook his head.
“The opposing faction in the White Lotus Cult did not simply use poison-feathered bird venom on her. Originally, just water that had a poison-feathered bird’s feather dipped in it could kill a person. But the Birthless Mysterious Woman Art that she learned also has detoxification properties.”
“Why does the martial art have ‘Birthless’ in its name? Is ‘no life’ not an inauspicious expression?”
“It is because the deity they worship is the Birthless Mother who has escaped the cycle of reincarnation. Anyway, that is why they used the entire poison gland of the poison-feathered bird to assassinate her. That she did not die and held on shows how excellent the Birthless Mysterious Woman Art is as a cultivation method.”
“So the reason you cannot extract the poison now is related to that?”
“When you gather the poison glands of the other four poisonous creatures, I will combine them to create the ‘Three Talents Four Elements Pill.’ After taking it, your dantian will exert a powerful attractive force on the poison-feathered bird toxin in her body, so using a great technique, I can extract the poison from her.”
“In other words, after completing the pill using the remaining four poisonous creatures, that energy will naturally attract the poison-feathered bird toxin from her.”
His master nodded.
“Using the great technique to transfer the poison to your body, at that moment the Three Talents and Five Elements will be completed, and your achievement will also rise.”
“If my achievement rises and my internal energy increases, I will be able to control the killing intent in my upper dantian.”
“Correct. Cure the Young Lady, make you stronger, and suppress the killing intent.”
“Killing three birds with one stone.”
“It is like eating the pheasant, eating its eggs, and raiding its nest for firewood.”
“Digging the ditch, catching the crayfish, and soaking your feet…”
“That is enough.”
“Yes.”
After that, he began detailed study of the four poisonous creatures. These were all things he had covered when learning about toxic substances, but he needed to know them in greater detail.
“Of the four poisonous creatures, the only one whose whereabouts have been identified is the Heavenly Silkworm. To be precise, its mature form, the Heavenly Silkworm Moth. Its weapon is the poisonous powder on its wings, and if you inhale it, you immediately depart for dreamland.”
“It seems peculiar that putting someone to sleep is considered poison.”
“If you inhale the poison, you sleep until you die. And when you fall asleep, the Heavenly Silkworm Moth will insert its tail into your belly and lay eggs. The baby silkworms will gnaw at your internal organs as they grow.”
“…I thought silkworms ate mulberry leaves.”
“They enjoy eating flesh.”
“…Ah, I see. Are there any other peculiarities?”
“Of course there are. The poison powder of those creatures contains wood energy. It does not just put you to sleep. If it touches your body, you will break out in agonizing boils.”
“Hmm.”
“Moreover, the pus that flows from the boils has a sweet fragrance, so insects from the surroundings swarm to it. They too will try to burrow into your flesh.”
Ju-seong stared blankly at his master and said something foolish.
“That is a creature that really knows how to have fun.”
It was maddening. Why did such a thing exist in the world?
No, the creature was just living its life, but since it made humans its prey, humans could not help but hate it.
‘That aside, where exactly is he trying to send his disciple?’
Not content with laying eggs in a living person’s belly, he was to face a monster moth that also caused boils.
“By the way, why does the government not catch such a creature?”
According to the Divine Physician’s explanation, the creature spread poison just by flapping its wings, so it would be hard for it to hide somewhere. The government would certainly be aware of its existence.
Could they not step in directly to prevent harm to common citizens, or pressure martial sects to deal with it?
The Divine Physician stroked his beard and answered.
“That creature is in the southern jungle of Yunnan.”
Only then could Ju-seong understand.
He was headed to Yunnan.
It was a place bordering the Southern Barbarian lands, where dense jungle covered half the province.
A place where no major sect existed, and where masters using all sorts of bizarre martial arts ran rampant.
The southern part of Yunnan Province in particular was practically beyond the frontier. So the government would not bother trying to catch a monster living in the jungle.
“Since it possesses wood energy, its poison powder serves as excellent fertilizer for trees. Thus, its habitat is a particularly lush area within the jungle where trees thrive.”
“The damage to the people of Yunnan must not be small.”
His master nodded.
“The problem is not the largest mother moth, but the subordinate moths beneath her. They are mainly the ones causing damage to homes.”
“Anyway, my mission is to slay the creature and bring back its poison gland.”
“Yes. And the cocoons of the Heavenly Silkworms can be processed into Heavenly Silkworm Thread and put to good use, so bring as many as you can.”
“Understood.”
Ju-seong also knew roughly about Heavenly Silkworm Thread. It popped up all the time in martial arts serials. The protagonists of those serials usually wore undergarments woven from Heavenly Silkworm Thread.
‘If it were me, I would make my underpants first. A man should rather die than become a eunuch.’
Ju-seong was having idle thoughts when he suddenly raised his head to look at his master.
“What are you staring at?”
At the indifferent response, Ju-seong also made a wide-eyed face.
“Watch your eyes. I might attach cupping glasses to your eyeballs.”
“Master.”
“What.”
“Where is a famous forge in the martial world?”
His master narrowed his brow and asked.
“Why, are you thinking of making gauntlets to wear? Forget it. The Three Yang Fist is a martial art that advances to higher levels when the hands move freely. If you really need gauntlets, make them from Heavenly Silkworm Thread. When you bring back the thread, I will let you have what is left after making my outer robe, underpants, inner garments, and socks.”
“That is not it, I was thinking of making some hidden weapons…”
His master sighed and waved his hand dismissively.
“I suppose at your level, if you meet an unexpectedly strong opponent, the only thing to rely on is that. Your skill is not so low that you would take beatings everywhere, but…”
The Divine Physician still did not like his disciple being obsessed with hidden weapon techniques and such. Sometimes there were knife marks on the trees around the courtyard.
His disciple had not violated instructions by practicing swords or sabers. He was just trying to keep his flying dagger sense from rusting.
The Three Yang Fist, Flame Crow Six Stage Art, White Phoenix Nine Heavens Movement Technique, Celestial Hearing and Celestial Nose.
He should be busy just training these, so there were times when he found it disagreeable that he wasted time on miscellaneous skills like hidden weapon techniques.
But to survive long in the martial world, what could one not do? They were not some stuffy orthodox sect like Wudang or Mount Hua.
In the end, the roundabout path might be the one that goes all the way. The time wasted practicing hidden weapon techniques might end up saving his disciple’s life once more.
The Divine Physician sighed and answered.
“When you have time later, try visiting a place called the Seo Family Forge in Hubei Province. Among forges for martial artists, it is fairly decent. Since they are strictly a business, they do not put on airs and select their customers.”
The Seo Family Forge was very famous. Even Ju-seong, being who he was, had heard of the place. They made weapons from quality iron that at least would not shatter while being swung.
Ju-seong spoke with a disappointed expression.
“Do you not know of a place that does not make weapons for those lacking in character and skill? But gives legendary swords for free to those they acknowledge… With a stubborn old man hammering iron before the furnace…”
“Ju-seong.”
“Yes.”
“Are your character and skill that outstanding?”
“I do not think so.”
“Then go to the Seo Family Forge, pay this thing called ‘money,’ and place an order. Do you understand?”
“Your disciple understands very well.”
Master and disciple glared at each other; anew, they were both men with bad tempers.