Chapter 20

Why did the Yang Brothers stop Namgung Woo? It wasn’t because they held some grudge against the Paeng Family.

Rather, like when Paeng Mu-ho asked Namgung Woo why he was helping them, they were acting out of goodwill.

“Young hero, are you planning to perform Qi Transfer? If so, that’s dangerous.”

“Exactly. The nature of the Thunder Qi we cultivate is explosive. It’s fierce, but it also clashes heavily with other energies. Plus, Thunder Qi can easily paralyze the body.”

“If you’re thinking of using it for healing, you need to be cautious. It might not just be Evil Energy—it could tear apart her entire meridians.”

“Thunder Qi is too dangerous for the human body. It’s not suitable for healing. Unless you’ve mastered the same Thunder Qi.”

Namgung Woo didn’t fully understand the brothers’ words.

Their point was that Thunder Qi wasn’t suitable for healing the human body. And since it seemed like common sense, even the Paeng Family’s martial artists couldn’t refute it.

But that didn’t make sense to him.

‘There’s nothing better than electricity for recovery.’

Even in modern physical therapy, electrical stimulation is a key treatment. The recovery effects of electricity are considered core in physical therapy.

Perhaps only Wood Qi, which is close to life force, could rival the recovery effects of electricity or Thunder Qi.

In Chasing Deer Murim, Thunder Qi was called the most overpowered attribute because it not only had powerful offensive capabilities but also healing properties.

‘The important thing is whether I can control the power for the treatment.’

But leaving her like this would almost certainly result in death, or at best, losing an arm.

So, even if it meant risking Thunder Qi, shouldn’t he prioritize healing first?

Qi Transfer Technique is dangerous—if one side makes a mistake, both suffer greatly. That’s why the Yang Brothers, though saddened by Paeng Ha-ryeong’s condition, prioritized stopping Namgung Woo, their benefactor.

The Paeng Family’s gaze toward the brothers naturally turned cold. But even under the fierce glares of four Peak Masters, the Yang Brothers didn’t back down and continued to persuade Namgung Woo.

However, to Namgung Woo, the standoff between the Yang Brothers and the Paeng Family martial artists felt like a play.

‘I get that they’re worried about me…’

Namgung Woo was human too. Even if he couldn’t fully empathize with their concern, he felt grateful and wanted to show consideration.

Considering the Yang Brothers’ pride and the time Paeng Ha-ryeong had left, Namgung Woo cut them off shortly.

“It’s about saving a life.”

So, stop wasting time and step aside.

Roughly speaking, that was the gist of it, but the listeners seemed to think differently.

“Young hero…”

“No, he’s not a young hero. He’s a great hero…”

Murmurs filled the air, mixed with the voices of the Paeng Family martial artists.

As Namgung Woo walked past the Yang Brothers toward Paeng Ha-ryeong, the Paeng Family martial artists stepped aside to make way.

After a long process, he finally reached Paeng Ha-ryeong. Up close, he could clearly see her condition.

‘Her breathing is unstable. She’s as good as dead.’

Cutting off her arm wouldn’t be enough.

The Evil Energy had reached her lungs. Her Qi flow was blocked, leaving her body dependent on someone else. If Paeng Mu-ho were unharmed, it might be different, but he was also injured. The other Paeng Family martial artists were of average skill—attempting Qi Transfer with them would likely result in mutual injury.

‘There was only one option from the start.’

It was right for him to step forward.

Namgung Woo began to draw on his Internal Energy.

‘First, use Heavenly Thunder Divine Energy to burn away the Evil Energy, then use electricity to accelerate recovery. After that, use Vast Heaven Divine Art to restore her disrupted balance and enhance her self-healing.’

With the broad plan in place, Namgung Woo immediately took action.

“Please protect me.”

“Will a radius of 3 meters suffice?”

Paeng Mu-ho’s tone had become even more respectful.

Namgung Woo nodded at Paeng Mu-ho’s offer to block any disturbances within a 3-meter radius.

“That’s enough.”

“Understood. Four of us will guard the perimeter.”

“We’ll help too.”

The Yang Brothers expressed their willingness to assist.

“Good.”

Under Paeng Mu-ho’s command, six martial artists took their positions.

Though the Yang Brothers were slightly outmatched, having four Peak Masters and two top-tier experts was more than enough for the outskirts of Muan County.

Namgung Woo left the external matters to them and took Paeng Ha-ryeong’s wrist.

‘Starting from the wrist is better for Qi Transfer, especially since we need to save her right arm.’

Namgung Woo’s palm covered the radial artery on Paeng Ha-ryeong’s wrist. Her faint pulse transmitted through his palm.

‘Here we go.’

With a soft sound, Namgung Woo’s Heavenly Thunder Divine Energy flowed into Paeng Ha-ryeong’s body through the Laogong acupoint.

Namgung Woo’s Heavenly Thunder Divine Energy clashed with the Soul-Stealing Ghost Phantom’s Evil Energy inside Paeng Ha-ryeong’s body.

§

Feeling the energy fluctuations from behind, Paeng Wi couldn’t contain his anxiety and spoke to Paeng Mu-ho.

“Great Master, are you sure we should just leave it like this…?”

“Trust him.”

“But if something happens to the young lady, we’ll all…”

“Do we have any other options?”

“Well, no…”

“Then focus ahead. They’re coming.”

Martial artists from the Iga Clan and others who participated in the battle were approaching.

Paeng Wi wiped his sweaty palms on his clothes and gripped his weapon tightly.

§

‘It’s not difficult. Her body is so clean there’s hardly any blockage.’

Over a lifetime, waste naturally accumulates in the body, including in the meridians. But Paeng Ha-ryeong’s meridians were almost entirely clear.

This was the power of a prestigious family.

From a young age, she had built her meridian framework with precise techniques, lived in a clean environment, ate clean food, and practiced superior Internal Energy techniques to maximize efficiency.

Her starting point was different from ordinary people.

As a direct descendant, she likely consumed rare elixirs, so even without talent, reaching the peak would have been a matter of time.

Of course, becoming a Peak Master at such a young age like Paeng Ha-ryeong required talent as well.

Namgung Woo’s thoughts briefly wandered, but the situation was perfect.

Before the Heavenly Thunder Divine Energy imbued with purifying power, what strength did the Soul-Stealing Ghost Phantom’s Evil Energy have to resist?

If it were the Yang Brothers’ less refined Thunder Qi, it might be different.

A fierce battle between Evil Energy and Thunder Qi? No such thing. What was happening inside Paeng Ha-ryeong’s body wasn’t a bloody struggle tearing through her meridians—it was just a chase.

No, even calling it a chase was too much. It was more like a hunt.

As he smoothly drove out the Evil Energy, Namgung Woo suddenly noticed something and had an idea.

‘The Evil Energy is swelling by consuming impurities in the body… What if I use that?’

No matter how well-maintained her body was, unless she lived in a place like Mount Song or Mount Heng, filled with pure energy, and only consumed elixirs, impurities would accumulate bit by bit.

Paeng Ha-ryeong’s meridians also had slight impurities. While her Twelve Regular Meridians and Eight Extraordinary Meridians were smooth, some of the smaller meridians throughout her body were blocked by impurities.

‘Should I try it?’

Namgung Woo changed the flow of his Heavenly Thunder Divine Energy.

Instead of chasing and burning away the Evil Energy, he kept a slight distance, guiding the Evil Energy in the desired direction.

It was a risky move—if done poorly, the weaker meridians could be damaged by the Evil Energy, causing internal injuries. But Namgung Woo’s Azure Tranquility Eyes could perceive the energy’s intensity and the meridians’ limits with extreme precision.

The insight of Azure Tranquility Eyes and near-absolute control over Internal Energy.

Instead of removing impurities one by one, letting the Evil Energy gather them and then burning it away optimized efficiency.

The three factors combined perfectly, creating an effect akin to refining the body.

‘Now, just burn it all away at the major acupoints of the Conception Vessel, and it’s done.’

The Evil Energy fled from the Thunder Qi, heading toward a suitable spot—the Yin Intersection acupoint.

As the name suggests, it’s where the Yin meridians intersect, with the Conception Vessel, Kidney Meridian, and Thrusting Vessel passing through. A bit further down is the Lower Dantian’s Sea of Qi acupoint, making it the perfect place for the Evil Energy to feed on Paeng Ha-ryeong’s Yin energy and weakened Internal Energy.

At the same time, it was where Namgung Woo had set a trap for the Evil Energy.

‘It’s over…’

But there was something Namgung Woo hadn’t anticipated.

‘Wait, could it be… that time of the month?’

The natural cycle every woman faces once a month—menstruation.

Paeng Ha-ryeong’s defeat was partly due to her poor physical condition from it.

‘This thing noticed the Thunder Qi hidden at the Yin Intersection acupoint and is heading to the Central Pole acupoint.’

During menstruation, the uterus is naturally wounded.

Contact with Evil Energy would have fatal consequences.

‘Then I just need to eliminate it before it reaches there.’

Namgung Woo placed his other hand on Paeng Ha-ryeong’s solar plexus.

He split his consciousness into two. The hyper-focused consciousness allowed him to control two types of energy simultaneously.

Two streams of Internal Energy flowed into Paeng Ha-ryeong’s body.

Through her wrist, Vast Heaven Divine Art stabilized her disrupted internal balance and maximized recovery accelerated by electrical stimulation. Through her solar plexus, Heavenly Thunder Divine Energy flowed to eliminate the Evil Energy’s last struggle.

The balance of energy was crucial.

Currently, four types of energy coexisted in Paeng Ha-ryeong’s body: her own Internal Energy, Namgung Woo’s Vast Heaven Divine Art and Heavenly Thunder Divine Energy, and the invading Evil Energy.

Even the usually composed Namgung Woo was now utterly serious. The final step was always the most important. A mistake here would render all his previous efforts meaningless.

The flow of time and external noise faded away.

Namgung Woo’s consciousness focused solely on the phenomena occurring within Paeng Ha-ryeong’s body. His sharp will began to control the four energies.

And his efforts bore fruit.

‘It’s done.’

The Evil Energy was completely gone.

The damaged meridians were also being healed by the electrical stimulation of Heavenly Thunder Divine Energy and the Qi circulation of Vast Heaven Divine Art. She would need some time to recover, but losing an arm was no longer necessary.

The recovery period wouldn’t be long either. The impurities and waste accumulated in her body had been burned away by Heavenly Thunder Divine Energy, and as Vast Heaven Divine Art flowed through her meridians, energy spread unimpeded to her limbs.

It wasn’t quite a rebirth, but it was close enough to be called a fortunate encounter.

Now, all that was left was for Namgung Woo to retrieve the Internal Energy he had sent.

But Namgung Woo didn’t take back all the Internal Energy he had sent.

Though the treatment was complete, full recovery wasn’t guaranteed, so Namgung Woo left a portion of Heavenly Thunder Divine Energy behind. Since it wasn’t Paeng Ha-ryeong’s own Internal Energy, it would naturally dissipate over time.

In the meantime, the Heavenly Thunder Divine Energy would aid her recovery and prevent any lingering effects of the Evil Energy.

After returning the rest of the energy to his body, Namgung Woo slowly withdrew his hands from Paeng Ha-ryeong.

As the tension faded, a wave of exhaustion hit him.

“Phew…”

In his exhausted state, Namgung Woo observed his own body. The Heavenly Thunder Divine Energy in his Lower Dantian was nearly depleted.

No matter how efficient his Internal Energy control was, inefficiency was inevitable.

On the other hand, the Vast Heaven Divine Art in his Middle Dantian was still plentiful. Following the口诀 of Vast Heaven Divine Art, Namgung Woo quickly circulated his energy through the Small Heavenly Cycle to alleviate his fatigue.

“Is it… over?”

The question came from Paeng Mu-ho.

But even as he asked, Paeng Mu-ho could tell it had been a success.

Paeng Ha-ryeong’s pale complexion had returned to normal, her furrowed expression had relaxed into a deep, peaceful sleep, and no Evil Energy could be felt from her right arm.

Yet, still tense, Paeng Mu-ho looked at Namgung Woo, who nodded in response.

“Yes. It’s over.”