Chapter 322

“A martial artist in a state of controlling the energy within their body is extremely sensitive and fragile, to the point that even a light touch can lead to complications.”

Especially after consuming elixirs, this becomes even more serious.

In such moments, having someone nearby to guard him is referred to as “standing law protection.”

So, Qing quietly stepped outside the guest hall to stand guard in the yard.

Even though Qing had just eaten, elixirs should not be consumed carelessly.

According to traditional medicine, poison can be used as medicine, essentially meaning that medicine and poison are closely connected.

This is precisely why wild elixirs can be so dangerous.

That’s why martial artists prefer to cook their elixirs rather than consuming them raw.

These cooked and refined elixirs can be taken without much concern for side effects.

That’s because they are made to be safe for consumption.

When taken in good health, they enhance inner strength, and when consumed while injured, they act as a universal cure. It’s no wonder why so many people want these renowned remedies.

However, purely in terms of enhancing inner strength, raw elixirs might actually be better, or so they say.

Did Je-gal mention this while chatting? Did Namyeon tell me? Whatever it was.

Plants that have drawn energy from the mountains for centuries, or ancient beings that have lived for hundreds of years.

The former, like a thousand-year-old ginseng, could certainly be considered an elixir, but I simply can’t wrap my head around those beings.

Surprisingly, it is said that there are occasionally beasts in the Central Plains martial world that awaken martial powers.

Of course, they don’t control the external and internal energies like humans do; rather, they supposedly gather natural energy in a certain organ and use it bit by bit.

Ah! What a fascinating ecosystem of the Central Plains!

After all, Qi is an all-purpose resource.

It’s a mysterious force that can transform people into superhumans, or as folks back home would say, folks that fly around shooting lightsabers.

In Qing’s hometown, there were also practices like Dantian breathing and Qi healing, but they definitely weren’t the mysterious metals that improve health or the hexagonal structure of water theories, nor were they the kind of pseudoscience that claimed magnets could block electromagnetic waves.

So, this primitive and uncivilized ancient Central Plains probably isn’t the past of the world Qing knew.

Then, what is it? A path not taken?

Could it be that a world discovering Qi has separated itself from a world that hasn’t, or perhaps there’s a twin planet that developed in an identical way but veered off into different paths in the infinite expanse of the universe?

Qing looks up at the sky.

The pristine night sky of the Central Plains, free of pollution, flows with countless stars.

Thinking back, since leaving the martial world, there hasn’t been much time to stargaze.

If Great Master Mucheondae or Great Master Mucheong hadn’t forced me to look at the stars, I might have completely forgotten about them.

Qing effortlessly found the brightest star and connected the surrounding starlight to form a large ladle shape.

The Big Dipper.

What was it again? The Great Bear? Anyway, those flat-nosed kids sure have a strange way of looking at things; how is that a ladle?

In fact, even before venturing into this martial world, as a worker in production, there wasn’t much to see, so I only really knew the Big Dipper and the W-shaped characters from the West. But where are they?

Qing tilted her head upward, trying her best to spot them, but lacking any clear recollection beyond their appearance, and with so many bright stars, everything seemed like everything else, leaving her utterly baffled.

Yet, Qing didn’t stop searching.

But the more she looked at the night sky, the stranger it felt.

Maybe, just maybe, as that old man said, there could be as many stars in this Central Plains as there are people.

Not the universe she knew, but something completely different.

Perhaps in the Western territories, those flat-nosed folks are casting spells and fighting monsters, leveling up their abilities.

In the first place, for someone like Qing, who was born and raised among these glimmering stars, and who possesses only her own memories as an outsider, she feels completely alone in this vast world.

And so, from a certain moment, Qing stopped speaking of the things she knew from her hometown.

She wiped away every word and concept, from the Western languages to even basic scientific principles, erased from her mind.

Because, it’s just strange.

What if someone asked, “What’s that?”

What if they asked, “How did you know that?”

Because it’s weird; if I don’t hide it well, it just stands out.

At that moment.

A creaking sound from the door.

Qing’s sorrowful expression instantly brightened into a joyful smile.

At that, Seoliri hesitated, about to step outside, but froze and simply stared at Qing’s shining beauty under the night sky.

If Qing hadn’t spoken, who knows how long she would have gazed.

“Oh! How do you feel? All energized and stuff?”

“Good. No.”

“Feeling not energized?”

“Yes.”

“Huh?”

After feeding her something good for once, she was met with such a deflating response.

Qing’s sullen expression prompted Seoliri to raise an eyebrow.

From the perspective of the skilled caretaker Seoliri, it was a “Ah!” non-verbal expression.

“Still not enough.”

“What? Not enough? Want me to give you more elixir?”

“No. Yes. No. I still need more energy to protect Young Lady Seomun.”

“Oh!”

That was quite a commendable and touching realization.

To think of needing more strength to protect Qing—it really wasn’t about feeling energized at all.

Did she suddenly awaken to the Dao after taking the elixir?

Does she suddenly know how to toy with human emotions?

“I’m proud of your heart. Ah, what time is it? I’m sleepy, let’s sleep.”

As it turns out, it was indeed late.

Checking the position of the moon, clearly, it had been a good two hours just to digest half an elixir?

Realizing this, one could conclude that she wasn’t just lacking strength, she was lacking everything.

Of course, it might seem unreasonable from Seoliri’s perspective.

Inner Strength is relative.

If one already has some heat in their body, absorbing another is a piece of cake as their Dantian can handle it—moving the vital energy and taking one in isn’t really that challenging.

However, for someone like Seoliri, with such pathetic skills, even one subpar martial technique would be utterly trivial.

Remarkably, she was already on the threshold of first-rate martial artists, meaning she had to absorb thirty times more energy than she had available.

Not to mention, transforming the elixir she had into just the correct balance of Yin and Yang energy takes time, so this could take a while.

Lucky for her, because she, despite previously draining it, had a Dantian capable of a decent free space, it had been conveniently well-maintained.

Thus, Seoliri was genuinely desperate, truly risking it all, determined not to lose even a single strand of this vital energy.

Attempting this, she could have torn her Dantian or twisted her meridians, pushing herself beyond her limits!

But if she didn’t say anything, Qing wouldn’t know.

If she did realize, she’d scold her for her foolishness with a slap to the head in righteousness.

Still, Seoliri had no plans to speak further and remained in the dark.

“That.”

“Huh? What? Not sleepy? After absorbing an elixir, it’s usually like that. Refreshing.”

“It’s not that. Why do you treat me this way, Young Lady Seomun?”

Seoliri, blunt as always, couldn’t help but speak her mind without an ounce of subtlety.

For some reason, she hesitated mid-sentence then suddenly decided to bite her tongue.

“What? Why stop mid-sentence?”

“Nothing. Yes.”

What is it? No.

Did she stop speaking for a second? Yes.

The first answer, sure, let’s just say that. But the second question usually serves to verify something, right?

There, where’s your answer? Yes? Right?

“You’re making me angry. Forget it.”

Qing was an expert in raising Seoliri.

Seoliri, being an utterly useless person who’s overly stubborn, would never change her mind once she sets it.

If she shuts her mouth, no matter how much questioning you do, she won’t budge a single bit, making it pointless to coax her.

“Let’s sleep. I’m sleepy.”

“No.”

“Huh?”

What’s going on?

“No? You’re not going to sleep?”

“Yes. Yes.”

“Then what will you do?”

“Practice Qi circulation.”

She meant she was going to train her inner strength.

Qing narrowed her eyes.

What? Did she just gain a bit of inner strength and suddenly want to dive into training?

At night? Without sleeping?

Yeah, there’s always that kind of person.

Those who suddenly decide they’ll start a detox or something from that day onwards.

And they always say they’ll skip meals and start exercising, only to eventually give up in a year or less.

Of course, such plans rarely pan out.

To achieve anything, you need to start at a light intensity and gradually get used to it until it becomes part of your daily routine.

But suddenly, claiming “I’ll show you my completely different self,” while making a spectacle of themselves is nothing but reckless and foolish behavior that can’t last three days.

“Don’t do that; just sleep at night.”

“No.”

“But you have plenty of time during the day.”

“I’ll do it during the day too.”

“So, you’re planning to practice Qi circulation day and night?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm. Well then, if I’m alone, I can’t sleep. Can’t we just sleep together?”

“No.”

Oh! What’s up with Seoliri’s state?

What is this, a rebellious phase? A bout of defiance?

“I’ll just practice Qi circulation by your side. You, Young Lady Seomun, sleep.”

“But it’s hot. Now that my inner strength is full, can’t you help me out a bit with your pitiful skills?”

“Pitiful.”

At that, Seoliri glanced down and back up again, but didn’t meet Qing’s eyes. She repeatedly looked away and back, demonstrating an exceptionally rude attitude.

What? Where’d she pick up such bad manners?

Qing was left totally bemused; a beat later, Seoliri finally gave her response.

“No.”

Ugh, seriously? She doesn’t listen at all!

Just when I thought she had taken on some functionality as a cool air conditioner, she suddenly declared a strike.

What is this, treachery? Betrayal?

Anyway, once she’s set on something, she becomes the type to stubbornly ignore anything else.

Qing finally sighed deeply.

—-

Qing had nothing much to do at the Zhongnan Sect.

With the transmission of the Ice-White Divine Technique ending up the next day, Qing’s martial arts training could be classified as extremely lazy.

Just listening to the secret technique and flipping through the manuals, and that was it.

The Martial Arts Inventory gleamed, flashing in purple light.

But why can’t I use the Ice-White Dragon that I’ve obtained?

Hey, I could summon a splendid dragon from my right arm now!

Dantian, Dantian…!

But there’s no one to blame; even if I cursed that dead old man who’d already gone, what could I do with a lost cause like that?

Thus, it felt awkward to be sitting idly as a patient in someone else’s home.

So, what was the answer? I need to head back home.

“Why not recuperate and return?”

“I’ve already delayed too long; I should return and pay my respects to my master too. Plus, it’s not that far.”

“Right. It’s far more comfortable to rest at home.”

Though the Taoist of Ta-jeong understood Qing’s condition, he didn’t try to stop her.

After all, the road to Divine Maiden Sect from here was famously safe.

To the south of Zhongnan Mountain, the east-west road is known across the land as the safest route.

It couldn’t be safer.

Below, the colossal mountain range wrapping around the Sichuan Basin serves as an unassailable bulwark.

On the leftmost end of this highway lies the territory of the Gongdong Sect, and once you step into Shaanxi Province, you enter Zhongnan Sect territory.

Beyond that, crossing into Hubei Province leads you to the Wudang Mountain, home of the Wudang Sect.

And the Divine Maiden Sect is just next door, practically neighbors at a distance you’d cover in Central Plains steps.

Thus, the Taoist of Ta-jeong could send Qing off with peace of mind, knowing her safety in the hands of four Zhongnan disciples accompanying her on horseback.

However, a problem did exist.

“It’s hot….”

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