Chapter 78
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Translated by Seoulbound
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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**
The ‘job’ Master spoke of was searching for the traitor who might be within the Yeo Family Clan.
“…The matters inside the manor have leaked. During that time, no one traveled to and from the manor. In addition, since you said there was no martial artist worthy of caution when you first sensed the inside of the manor, we must assume there is no martial artist possessing enough internal strength to emit a voice transmission.”
“But how could they transmit news to the outside?”
“It is thanks to the function of the Chaotic Heaven Green Forest’s masks.”
He said they were masks manufactured by the sorcery of heterodox and unorthodox paths.
It was indeed vivid in my memory how a higher-level mask exerted control over lower-level masks; it was something impossible with general martial studies.
“So you believe that a fellow wearing a mask transmitted the news to the outside.”
“Correct.”
“In that case, wouldn’t it be easy to find them?”
The true qi accumulated in a person’s body is largely divided into two categories and named as such.
Innate true qi and acquired true qi.
While innate true qi is the cultivation power inherited from parents at birth, acquired true qi refers to the cultivation power accumulated in the body through food intake and breathing after birth.
Therefore, ordinary commoners do not possess a large amount of post-natally accumulated cultivation power; it is to an extent that cannot even be compared to a martial artist who has formally entered internal cultivation studies.
To compare by the intensity of light, if a commoner is a star in the night sky, the wave of acquired true qi emitted by a martial artist is on the level of a full moon.
However, Master shook his head.
“The minions of the Chaotic Heaven Green Forest who have taken off their masks have minuscule internal strength. Of course, they say that such a tendency grows weaker the higher the level of the mask they wear, but even those of the Constrained Sage rank lose most of their cultivation power to the mask. Furthermore, the subordinates of the Great Sage Who Drives Spirits practiced external arts, making it even harder to detect traces of internal strength; they are not easily distinguished from ordinary commoners.”
A Green Forest bandit who has taken off his mask is hard to distinguish from those who have not practiced internal strength.
It was one of the reasons why the Chaotic Heaven Green Forest was not easily rooted out.
“That is why you are needed. There are few disciples whose mastery of the Tai Chi Diagram Exposition is as deep as yours.”
He was assigning a difficult task.
Since it meant he believed in and trusted me that much.
Praise made the disciple dance.
“Leave it to me.”
“…Think before you speak. It is not an easy task.”
He said it was a task that was not easy even for Master.
Since distinguishing someone who was no different from an ordinary person was a difficult thing even for the most outstanding expert.
Because of that.
“You do not have to feel too burdened. For it is not as if there is no one else to entrust this task to even if it is not you.”
“…There is someone else besides me?”
“Is not the one who transmitted the Tai Chi Diagram Exposition to you right here?”
“Ah.”
“…”
Master gazed at me with eyes that seemed to say ‘Why do you not know that?’—entirely different from when he was praising me—and spoke once more.
“Can you do it?”
A tone mixed with slight doubt.
That tone weighed down on my pride.
“If you cannot, Hye-won can do it, so there is no need to overdo it.”
My fully compressed pride bounced back like a spring.
“I can do it.”
The bounced-up spring stimulated my upper dantian to draw out thoughts.
‘Since the process of mass being created is also a process formed by the breaking of symmetry.’
The theory that England’s scholar, Higgs (Hoping for standard of this), first proposed and which countless scholars subsequently supplemented.
That theory was a proven fact because they finally found the evidence of the particle Higgs had predicted inside a massive mechanical apparatus called a ‘particle accelerator.’
And because that fact also touched upon the contents of the introductory Taoist texts I had read while drooling in the Library Pavilion.
I organized my thoughts and proposed a method.
“Since all things in heaven and earth are formed by the breaking of a part of the balance established throughout the entire universe. Qi coalesces. Ultimately, a specific wave of qi exists in all things.”
Since we refer to natural qi, which used to flow homogeneously, being trapped, coalesced, and compacted by a broken balance as essence; what was formed by this essence was matter.
That is, essence emits qi, however minutely.
“…That is, if we detect the minute waves of qi emitted by the essence, we will be able to find them.”
“You will try to feel that?”
“Yes.”
It was a wave of qi I had detected to the point of being sick of it while fighting the minions of the Chaotic Heaven Green Forest.
Of course, the energy emitted by the mask when taken off was far weaker than when it was worn, but.
‘Since I know the frequency of the wave of qi.’
The specific wavelength and period possessed by the trembling of energy is like the fingerprint of that wave of qi.
Of course, since its intensity was weak, detecting it would not be easy, but because I had already accomplished a similar feat through the study of the Tai Chi Diagram Exposition.
“I think it is possible. No. It is possible.”
I spoke with shining eyes.
**
All things emit energy.
Earth emits earth qi, wood emits wood qi, the sun emits Yang qi, and Yin qi flourishes in the shade.
All those natural qis were things that branched out from the energy of the Primal Chaos of One Qi.
In normal cases, martial artists possessing qi perception end up detecting waves in a form where all those true qis are mixed.
Because of that, a mere single mask.
Moreover, tracking by specifying the wave of qi emitted by a Green Forest bandit’s mask that was not even worn was no different from finding a needle in a desert.
However, I possessed the Primal Chaos Tai Chi Art.
A divine art capable of dividing turbid qi based on a force field.
In other words, depending on the method of swirling the true qi, a specific true qi alone could be extracted separately.
It was a principle similar to wiretapping voice transmissions.
Because of that.
‘Since I clearly know the frequency of the wave, I will only detect the wave of qi of that frequency.’
I narrowed down the wave of qi felt through the Tai Chi Diagram Exposition to a wave of qi of a specific frequency.
If I restricted my detection ability like this?
I was confident that I could find it immediately the moment the distance narrowed.
‘Of course, I would only be able to feel it when the distance grew close, but…’
At least, it was so with the depth of the Tai Chi Diagram Exposition study I had accumulated now. Martial Aunt Hye-won would also search in a similar manner.
I first visited the most suspicious place.
Since there was no need to deliberately detect physical phenomena.
I first sought out the quarters of the warriors guarding the family.
If they were a minion of the Chaotic Heaven Green Forest, they would have practiced martial arts.
Naturally, there was a high possibility they had sneaked in as a warrior.
Since most of the guests and warriors had been struck by the Green Forest bandits during the merchant journey, their numbers were not large, making it a calculation that it would be easy to detect them.
However.
‘There’s none.’
It was not felt.
There was no traitor among the guard warriors.
Where, then, could they be?
From that point on, I walked around the inside of the manor pretending to take a stroll.
Sayings like ‘We survived thanks to you,’ ‘Is your body alright?’ and ‘You are amazing at such a young age’ were heard; the manor residents who had seen me fighting that day approached me the instant they saw me, expressing goodwill such as grabbing my hands.
“As a Wudang Sect disciple, I merely did what naturally had to be done.”
Contacting all kinds of people residing within the manor, I closely examined them.
However, the peculiar demonic energy that had been felt from the Changyou masks, Python masks, and such before was not felt.
Eventually, I even had this thought.
‘Could it be that there was actually no spy?’
Since they say fear can create even non-existent ghosts.
Having fallen into a state of being half-giving up at the thought that we might have made a hasty guess due to fear of the Chaotic Heaven Green Forest bandits, I moved my steps toward the quarters.
At that moment, laborers who seemed to work in the inner courtyard were moving cargo. Among them, one man was heading toward the warehouse while carrying an unusually large amount of cargo.
‘He is quite strong.’
Even among those who had not practiced internal strength, there were occasionally such individuals.
Those born with true qi by nature.
My constitution of Innate Divine Strength was also of the same kind.
In other words, born with a ‘mighty constitution.’
Because no matter how mighty he was, it looked heavy for someone from whom no trace of internal strength could be felt to carry.
I approached the servant and spoke.
“I will help you. Please give me a few.”
“Ah, no. How could you do such a humble task? I will do it.”
The servant replied without even making eye contact.
His suppressed voice, as if crushed by the load of cargo, was pitiful.
Therefore, I approached and placed my hand on his cargo, and.
Instantly.
‘Hmm?!’
I once again verified the energy, which was so minuscule that I wondered if it was an illusion.
Concentrating true qi in my upper dantian, which was the center of the Tai Chi Diagram Exposition, and circulating true qi over my fine meridians, I heightened my senses.
As if putting a film over my eyes, the flow of true qi began to be felt, and I started to adjust the true qi detection to the specific frequency emitted by the masks.
‘!’
A strange energy was being emitted from his chest.
As if announcing its presence here.
And my eyes met with the servant’s.
**
The echoing of a scream as if the massive manor would depart was but a split second, and.
Soon, the source of the scream was sat down before Yeo Mun-yang, the temporary family head of the Yeo Family Clan, with one arm and leg bent at a very bad angle and a gag in his mouth.
The failure to make him kneel was purely because the leg bent at a very bad angle physically did not permit such a posture.
Soon the gag was removed, and the interrogation began.
Merely by slightly touching his twisted arm and leg, the servant confessed everything he had done.
That in the deep of the night, he wore the mask and transmitted the matters that occurred within the family to the outside; it meant that information was transmitted merely by wearing the mask and opening his mouth to speak, rather than contacting the outside.
It was a discovery that proved the hypothesis proposed while analyzing the Green Forest bandits’ masks in the Secret Arts Pavilion.
Although there was an added comment that the distance for transmitting the information was vastly different depending on the upper dantian capability of the person wearing the mask, at any rate, what was certain was.
That they were able to transmit news to the outside without even stepping out of the manor.
Meanwhile, they verified through what route the servant was able to be employed in the manor, especially in the inner courtyard, and.
Yeo Mun-yang spoke with a sorrowful face.
“Yungzhong Merchant Association…!”
As one of the Five Great Wealthy Families of the realm, the Yeo Family Clan controlled various merchant associations in addition to the association directly operated by the family head.
Among such merchant associations, the large-scale association based on the west side of Xiangyang Castle was indeed the Yungzhong Merchant Association.
“I never imagined that they would be the lackeys of the Green Forest. How well my father had treated the association leader!”
It was hard to even guess what kind of betrayal the young temporary family head would feel.
Therefore, Master calmed Yeo Mun-yang down with a calm voice.
“It is still unknown. Whether the entirety of them has been compromised, or if only a portion of them has turned.”
At those words, Yeo Mun-yang’s shaking gaze also returned.
The two vanished into the family head’s office.
Since it was late at night when Master returned.
“Are we going to investigate the Yungzhong Merchant Association?”
Master’s answer to my question regarding the next mission was silence.
Only the candle lighting the room made crackling sounds as it cast shadows over my face and Master’s.
Soon Master broke the silence and spoke.
“You return to the main mountain along with the Prosperity Star Unit and the Greedy Wolf Unit.”
The moment I was about to say something, Master’s words continued.
“For we intend to quietly investigate through the Sea Fog Pavilion disciples first.”
Since most of the senior brothers and sisters of the Sea Fog Pavilion specialized in information gathering and espionage.
Because a novice in espionage like me going instead might rather interfere with them, I nodded my head.
“Understood.”
**
Unlike most martial arts sects that were objects of terror to the common people regardless of the distinction between the black path and the white path, the Wudang Sect of Hubei was different.
Thanks to the active endeavors of the Taoist studies disciples in addition to the reputation of the martial arts disciples, the impression of the Wudang Sect was closer to friendliness and respect rather than terror or awe; it was the strength of the Taoist studies disciples who prayed for the happiness of the current world while conveying the wisdom of life.
However, even if that were so, it was not to this extent.
On the way returning to the mountain.
It was not to the degree that people in every village we passed recognized us.
At least, not until this incident at the Yeo Family Clan.
“Did they not crush those monsters of the Chaotic Heaven Green Forest who are said to be so vicious?”
“To the Great Sage Who Overturns Seas and even the Great Sage Who Drives Spirits. Although two Great Sages along with the bandits under them attacked, they were completely repelled, they say.”
“Indeed. Wudang of the South!”
“Then is that boy?”
“That’s right! The Bringer of Chaos said to have appeared in the Wudang Sect!”
“They say he was young, contrary to his nickname.”
“Grow up quickly to become the Tenth Sword, not just the Nine Swords!”
Quite apart from my nickname being known to the Murim Alliance leadership or unorthodox sects, it had not been known to people who were not martial artists.
In the past.
However, now even the commoners recognized me.
“You have become famous, our Nan-sin!”
“Well, if it is something Junior Brother Yeon did. Rather, the spread of his fame is on the late side.”
“It is probably even more so because it is so absurd. For rumors also only spread when they are believable.”
Of course, while being together with my fellow disciples, I was particularly young and thus easy to recognize, but it was certainly a level of fame I had never experienced before, so.
“Is he the one in that rumor?”
“They say he pulls off people’s arms?”
“With such a cute face? He doesn’t even seem to have had his coming-of-age ceremony yet?”
I was slightly bewildered by the whispering of the nearby women…
Of course, it was not that only bewildering things occurred.
“I have packed plenty. You must eat a lot and grow up quickly.”
The quantity of dumplings received excessively compared to the coins handed over allowed me to gauge the weight of fame, so.
‘Nice.’
My heart felt as if it defeated gravity and floated up.
By the time we reached the mountain gate, the wounds sustained on my legs while blocking the Great Sage Who Overturns Seas’s attack had completely healed.
And upon the mountain we finally returned to.
“Nan-sin!”
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
Elders including Immortal Mang-won and Immortal Hae-won stepped forward and approached me.
I was as bewildered as when I heard the whispering of the village women.
I wore my pants pulled slightly lower to cover any scars that might have remained.
It was because of the intuition that a huge trouble would occur if even a trace of the scar was caught.
In addition, I tried throwing a look seeking help toward my senior brothers and sisters, but only a look that seemed to say ‘Bear it’ returned.
Fortunately, I was able to instantly think of a way to escape from this bewildering situation, so.
“Uh… because I have some realizations gained from this mission.”
“?!”
In a flash, a path cleared from the Sword-Untying Pond to the South Rock Palace Greedy Wolf Unit quarters.
It was the moment I properly felt the efficacy of fame.