Chapter 16 Escape (2)

Chapter 16: Escape (2)

“Turn left about thirty paces ahead.”

“If you look to the right, there should be a side path. Just go in there.”

“Go straight.”

It was the second day of running with the Cleaning Lady on my back.

All this time, I’d faithfully followed her instructions, delivered like a navigation system.

‘A man should always listen to three women.’

As the saying goes, if you listen well to your mother, your wife, and your navigation system, you’ll get lucky even in your sleep.

Of course, the road wasn’t easy.

We clung to an old rope hanging over a thousand-foot drop and crawled down sheer cliffs. All while maintaining maximum speed.

Thanks to that, my stamina and muscles, which had been steadily declining since graduating from Deungcheongak, got a serious workout.

‘This is tough!’

Well, that’s putting it nicely.

My breath was so labored it felt like I might collapse any second.

Sensing my state, the navigation system spoke up.

“I think we can take a short break. Since we’ve made it this far, there shouldn’t be any pursuit.”

Well, after all, we’d crossed three mountain peaks and traversed two cliffs. It made sense.

“Let’s do it!”

The moment the words left my mouth, I sprang to my feet. My back ached as if it might snap.

Thud!

Cheongso-soga lost her balance and fell flat on her face.

“You fell!”

She was getting mad at me for carrying her all this time, through life-threatening situations, just because she stumbled a little.

Whoever he was, her future husband was truly pitiful.

‘As expected, Director Yuk is the answer.’

It was a moment when I longed for the soft aura emanating from her voluptuous figure.

“Are you listening?!”

“Hmph, sorry. My back hurts.”

“What good is a young man without back strength?”

Well, that’s only because I carried you over mountain ranges.

“First, take this.”

“What is this?”

The cleaning lady handed him a small pill.

Its pungent scent reminded him of dog food.

“It’s an internal injury remedy.”

“But I haven’t suffered any internal injuries…”

“Internal injury medicine is excellent for recovery. How have you managed in the martial arts world all this time without knowing that?”

Why the scolding when you could just explain it?

But free medicine is something you should jump out of bed to take.

“Haha, is that so? Then I’ll gladly take it.”

I bowed my head with dignity.

Gulp.

As soon as I swallowed the internal injury medicine, the cleaner’s voice came through.

“Start circulating your qi immediately after swallowing. That way, the medicine’s effects will spread faster.”

“Understood.”

I immediately moved my body in the sequence: left foot, left hand, right foot, right hand.

It was a characteristic of the Zhenwang style, where the heart method and killing technique were one.

“You said to circulate my qi, but why are you suddenly doing gymnastics?”

“This is my qi circulation.”

“You’re kidding, right? You’re doing the Gongfu?”

“That’s correct. First, I need to circulate my qi once, so I’ll need to focus for a moment.”

“Ah, got it.”

The engine was sufficiently primed. All that remained was to execute the five initial forms, each consisting of twenty movements, in sequence.

Whoosh. Boom! Bang.

Even without releasing any internal energy, the air exploded with every movement of my hands and feet.

Soon, something like fallen leaves swirled around me and shot skyward.

Simultaneously, vitality began coursing through my entire body, and before long, my depleted internal energy surged back up.

“Huuu…”

Having completed all the movements, I took a deep breath and opened my eyes.

I saw Cheongso-ja staring blankly.

“The effect is remarkable. Over four hundred points of internal energy have returned.”

“……”

“Cheongso-ja?”

“Ah! I’m sorry. It’s my first time witnessing this technique…”

Then, startled, she clasped her hands and bowed her head.

“Oh my! What was I thinking! It’s rude to observe someone else’s martial arts!”

“It’s… fine.”

Truthfully, Cheongso’s words weren’t wrong.

If a technique was leaked, similar martial arts might emerge, or countermeasures could be devised.

It wasn’t for nothing that martial arts sects were so strict about selecting disciples, insisting on ‘secret transmission only to worthy disciples’.

‘After all, this is the land of counterfeits par excellence.’

He wondered if the technological prowess that would later build the Shining Copy Empire hadn’t been forged right here, at this very moment.

Cheongso-so offered another apology.

“Anyway, I’m sorry.”

“If you really feel bad, could you spare me one more of those internal injury remedies? I’ll put it to good use later.”

“Understood.”

Putting the dog food Cheongso-so handed him in his pocket, he thought.

‘I should clone this and sell it.’

He’d hit the jackpot.

***

The resumed hike didn’t end until lunchtime the next day.

“Phew!”

“Good work.”

“You absolutely must tell them about this hardship when we get to Guryongseong.”

“…Yeah, I get it.”

“Don’t just give a vague account. Be as detailed as possible. A little exaggeration wouldn’t hurt either.”

“I said I got it, so stop bugging me.”

Cheongso-so raised his voice.

It was clear they’d definitely grown a bit closer after yesterday’s events.

“But where exactly is this hideout supposed to be?”

“Just wait a moment.”

The Cleaner looked around, then suddenly picked up stones and began throwing them.

Thud. Thud.

He did this for a moment.

Whoosh.

With the sound of a strong wind, the surrounding scenery changed.

A large stone statue appeared on the cliff where there had been nothing before.

“It’s over there.”

I led the way, and the Cleaner followed straight in.

“It’s a formation. Is this your first time seeing one? ”

“I’ve seen it before, but never a formation this exquisite.”

“Heh heh, that’s only natural. It’s a secret formation passed down through our family for generations.”

His nose grew tall at the compliment, which was annoying.

Anyway, after walking a short distance, we saw a large stone gate with an inscription above it.

‘The First Physician Under Heaven?’

A phrase I’d seen before, though not often.

After a moment’s thought, the answer hit me, and I blurted out in shock.

“Hubei Qing Family?!”

“Hehehe.”

Qing Xiaosuo lifted the corners of her mouth as she looked at me.

Her expression seemed to say, ‘As if a mere mortal like you would ever meet someone from a great family like mine.’

And then.

“So you finally recognize me. I am Qing Xiaoshao, the third-generation descendant of the God of Life and Death.”

Wait, why did she suddenly start speaking so formally?

And how am I supposed to know you’re the third-generation descendant of the God of Life and Death?

Especially since you’re a woman with no inheritance rights.

“Now that you know, treat me with proper respect from now on. Jin Wushi.”

Since I was utterly unlucky, I resolved to bring her back to reality.

“Um… Qingchao?”

“Hm?”

“I’m from the Ascension Pavilion. The technique you saw earlier was martial arts bestowed by the Sect Master. At the time, Grandmaster Taiqing of the Black Dragon Sect served as my guardian.”

“……”

“And Dan Yun, who came all the way to Gongtong Mountain with me, is the eldest disciple of the Blue Dragon Sect. You know, That the Blue Dragon Sect is the Blue Star Sect.“

”Hmm, hmm. Please come in, Master Jin.”

How dare a mere general hospital compare itself to a conglomerate like Nine Dragons City?

I may be a nobody in Nine Dragons City, but in the martial world, I’m considered middle-class.

The cleaning lady, who had momentarily lost her composure, opened the door with a demure posture. More precisely, he pressed somewhere on the door.

Clunk! Creak.

Then, the massive stone door began to rattle open.

‘How fascinating.’

It must be over a hundred years old, yet it still works. And it’s clearly made of natural materials like stone and wood.

Through the narrow, precarious opening, a different world came into view.

Countless night pearls were embedded in the ceiling, emitting a sparkling glow.

‘This place must be packed with radiation.’

Originally, night pearls aren’t a type of gemstone, but a kind of ore containing radiation.

But that’s a fact only I know.

The people of the Central Plains treated them as precious gems and traded them at high prices.

‘Should I take one?’

I hesitated for a moment, but shook my head.

‘If this is a hidden treasure chamber, that’s probably a trap card.’

Isn’t that a common cliché in martial arts novels?

Touch the treasure, and the entire chamber collapses.

Sure enough, the janitor explained it.

“Ah! Just in case, I should warn you—don’t touch anything carelessly. Traps are set, and the entire cave could collapse.”

“Do I look like the type? To steal from another family’s cave?”

“No, that’s not it. I’m just saying, be careful…”

“Enough! I’m disappointed in you, Cleaner.”

“No…”

What does he take me for?

But does that mean it’s okay to touch the things on the shelves?

Curiosity piqued, I looked around the cellar.

Storage cabinets and jars filled with something were placed throughout the spacious interior. It didn’t feel stuffy, suggesting there must be ventilation somewhere.

Also, judging by the small doors in several places, there seemed to be areas that could be used as rooms.

As I surveyed the area, the cleaning staff, who had been looking downcast, approached and began introducing the interior of the warehouse.

“That over there is the restroom. These two on this side are storage rooms. They’re empty now, so you could probably use them as rooms. And see that iron door at the very back?”

“Yes.”

“That area is off-limits; a barrier is installed. It’s dangerous, so you absolutely must not open it. ”

“Understood.”

I’ll open it when I get the chance.

***

Three days passed.

Bored without any time-killers like smartphones, I was practicing martial arts.

“Shh! Shh shh! Damn it. Shh. Shh shh.”

I added a bit of enthusiasm to the sound.

After two hours passed like that, my surroundings were filled with sweat and intense heat.

“Shush! Shush!”

For reference, what I was doing was internal energy training.

If it had been left-hand cultivation, it would have been an unimaginable act, but since the Zhenwang style’s heart method was right-hand cultivation, it was possible.

Paaang!

As I thrust out my fist for the final move, I felt the surrounding air explode outward.

‘Feels good, huh?’

Even though I hadn’t trained for a while, the circulation of my qi felt remarkably smooth.

It was like rediscovering a forgotten path and finding my way to the destination.

“Huuu…”

Finishing my training, I leaped into the pond tucked away in a corner of the courtyard.

Splash!

“Ahh! Refreshing.”

Lying in the pond for a moment to cool off, I could see muscles twisted like strands of wire.

‘With this physique, I could walk around Gyeongpo Beach wearing just a triangle swimsuit, right?’

The amazing part was that despite barely training at all over the past year, the muscles were still there.

I hadn’t even followed a protein-focused diet; I’d mostly just drunk and lived it up.

If 21st-century gym rats saw this, they’d definitely be begging on their knees for the secret.

It was all the subtlety of the Zhenwang style, which I’d barely mastered in the first half.

‘It’s really amazing.’

Whenever I recalled the techniques of the Former King’s lineage, I felt there were so many aspects that defied common sense.

First off, the fact that the developer was a sect master was absurd.

Dang Qing, the Dark King of the Nine Dragons Fortress, was undoubtedly a master of the Hua Jing level, whose martial arts reached the heavens.

However, his true, peerless skill was the Heavenly Poison Heart Technique, an unparalleled divine skill, and the dark arts that utilized the immense poisonous energy emanating from it.

Yet, the Zhenwang Style he actually developed and gave me is a bare-handed combat technique.

‘This is like Steve Jobs developing and selling Android phones.’

Of course, being the martial arts world’s foremost martial arts expert, he could develop it.

The problem is, the level of the Zhenwang Style is comparable to the secret techniques or divine martial arts of the major sects.

Secondly.

‘Can one accumulate inner energy this quickly with the Donggong technique?’

I don’t know the exact method, but the Zhenwang School’s mental techniques transcended the limitations of the pupils.

The level of pupil techniques in this martial arts world was less effective than the common Samjae mental techniques found in the marketplace. You could say they were only slightly better than qi exercises.

But the Zhenwang School was different.

It could accumulate internal energy as rapidly as the legendary Zhaogong, which had ascended to the ranks of divine martial arts.

Moreover, it didn’t clash at all with internal energy cultivated through other mental techniques.

In other words, it could build internal energy of unparalleled purity.

‘The most mysterious aspect is undoubtedly the core incantation.’

Finally, the core incantation and training method.

越动越强越战越强 (The more you move, the stronger you become. The more you fight, the stronger you become.)

The more you move, the stronger you become. The more you fight, the stronger you become.

This was the very core mantra and training method of the Zhenwang School.

It was a mantra made possible because the very method of accumulating internal energy was also the method of combat.

Having seen these secret manuals and illustrated texts of the Zhenwang School, I was utterly dumbfounded.

Accumulating internal energy the more you fight?

‘It’s not like we’re Saiyans or something.’

So I trained for just one year before quitting.

My martial prowess had already reached a satisfying level, and this training method offered no help whatsoever toward my ultimate goal: the Jizhi Forest.

‘Still…’

Moving my body like this felt surprisingly refreshing; maybe it was worth trying occasionally.

To enjoy this rare moment of leisure, I lay down in the pond.

“You’re crazy! That’s drinking water! What if you bathe in it?!”

Until I heard the shouts from the petty little cleaning crew.