Chapter 41 : Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Unity

A year had passed.

It was a time of fully establishing my place in the clan, a time of honing myself after reaching the State of Harmony, and a time of tempering my elder brother, Dancheon Hak.

Instead of Myeong-gae, who had turned his back on the clan at twenty and joined the Beggar's Gang, it would be described as the time when the twenty-one-year-old second son of the Dancheon Clan, Dancheon Myeong, lived in the world.

A quiet evening after finishing my training.

I was sitting in my quarters, resting comfortably.

My quarters were quite different from their previous desolation.

-I brought this because I thought you might need it.

-All of this?

-If you don't need it, I'll take it back.

-I need it.

-……I'm glad to hear that.

-Thank you, Mother.

-I've only repaid a debt, so don't mind it.

It was thanks to Baek Yeo-hae, who had filled my quarters with a brusque yet meticulous touch.

I would say it was a very different appearance from the woman Baek Yeo-hae of the past, though I don't know if it was because of the events of that day or because she had heard the rumor that I had given up the Young Clan Head competition.

To put it deliberately, it would be more correct to call her Mother Baek Yeo-hae rather than the woman Baek Yeo-hae.

-I will use it well.

-……Yes.

It wasn't that my quarters were desolate because I had no money.

Nevertheless, I cannot deny the fact that I quite liked these quarters, where the desolation had been erased.

Just as succeeding Uncle Yeo Baek had become my place, I felt that my quarters had also become a place where I belonged.

“Now, it's about time…….”

A year had passed since I entered the Fourth Stage.

This meant that I had fully adapted to the new era of the State of Harmony, and it also meant that I was ready to enter the Fifth Stage.

In reality, I had not deliberately postponed entering the Fifth Stage.

It would be more correct to say that it was because I knew that the spiritual medicine needed to enter the Fifth Stage, just like the Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Fleeceflower Root, would only appear in the Jianghu now.

My gaze turned to a corner of the ceiling, where darkness had fallen.

“You've come.”

I spoke towards that direction.

Of course, it wasn't that I was going crazy or anything.

“Heh heh, did you notice?”

Melting the darkness, the Soul-Chasing and Life-Taking Ma Sok revealed himself.

Since I had summoned him, it would not be called trespassing.

Although he had secretly crossed the walls of the Dancheon Clan.

“Aigoo, I can't do this anymore. I almost got caught several times on the way here…….”

Ma Sok joked around.

It wasn't a completely unfounded story; it would be correct to judge that the level of the Dancheon Clan had been rising steeply over the past year.

“From next time, I will come to you.”

The relationship with the Rogues’ Guild must always be handled with care, so that seemed better.

“Have you secured the information I requested?”

The reason Ma Sok had come to me.

It was because I had requested the help of the Rogues’ Guild's information network to track the spiritual medicine for entering the Fifth Stage.

* * *

-The Fifth Stage of the Healing Sage’s Mind Cultivation Art is named Hapchi.

Unity.

It was a familiar name.

When reaching the Three Flowers Realm in the Fourth Stage: Amplification, didn't one achieve the unity of Essence, Qi, and Spirit?

This unity was that very unity.

Naturally, when I first perused the Healing Sage’s Mind Cultivation Art, I could not understand the reason for emphasizing the unity already achieved in the Fourth Stage when reaching the Fifth Stage.

-Disciple, what do you think true unity is?

What was certain was that the Healing Sage's thinking had a strangeness that could not be understood by an ordinary person.

It was because, unlike me who only gathered and analyzed information, the Healing Sage was one who delved into and awakened to the essence.

What that meant was that I had no idea what that true unity was.

Fortunately, the kind Healing Sage had given an answer to the ignorant masses.

-In truth, it is more correct to say that the unity of Essence, Qi, and Spirit is an incorrect expression. The reason being, Essence, Qi, and Spirit are not in opposition but exist on a continuum. It would be more correct to say that Essence, Qi, and Spirit are unified rather than united.

I wonder if the reason why supreme martial artists often emerge from the Nine Sects who cultivate the Way lies in such things.

While others were absorbed in more efficient sword strikes, they explored principles and reason.

It was because the starting point for breaking down walls and advancing to a new realm comes from the expansion of the Spirit, that is, from contemplation on all things in the universe.

-Unity means that opposing things come to match each other. Since the principle of the world is based on thesis, antithesis, and synthesis, it is correct to say that unity is the gateway to a new horizon. If unification is to develop to a limit, then unity is the way to break that limit and open a new horizon.

-Therefore, this old master contemplated for a long time where the root of opposition lies.

-I have finally reached a firm conclusion; I believe Yin and Yang are the answer. My enlightenment is that even good and evil are ultimately nothing more than derivatives of Yin and Yang.

-Ultimately, all development lies in the fundamentals.

I understood the Healing Sage's words to be in the same context as 'the essence of martial arts lies in the basics.'

-When Yin and Yang are unified, this is the Supreme Ultimate, and when Yin and Yang are united, this is the Infinity. I hope the disciple aims to approach the Infinity through the Fifth Stage.

-The Supreme Ultimate is not a wrong path, but the path this old master pursued is ultimately the Infinity.

Infinity.

It is the pinnacle of the new era that all martial artists desire.

It is because it is the stage where a martial artist who has blossomed the Spirit through communication with all things in heaven and earth finally materializes their intent.

Wouldn't it be absurd to discuss the strongest under the heavens without being able to handle intent?

Although the Healing Sage’s Mind Cultivation Art followed a different track from general martial arts, it was ultimately similar, so it would be correct to call this too as ‘all things return to one’.

The point to note here is that the Healing Sage discussed the existence of the Infinity in the Fifth Stage.

The Infinity, which was usually discussed as the peak of the Jianghu.

Since the Healing Sage had clearly spoken of the existence of the Sixth Stage, the statement that one could reach the strongest under the heavens by achieving the great completion of the Healing Sage’s Mind Cultivation Art would not be an empty boast.

It was because the Healing Sage spoke of what came after the known end of martial arts in the Jianghu Murim.

Anyway…….

As the unity of Yin and Yang is added to the unified Essence, Qi, and Spirit, the Five Mechanisms achieve harmony, which foretells the natural circulation of the Five Energies.

It is a mechanism where the Five Energies Returning to the Origin, which is often called the supreme realm in the Jianghu, is naturally achieved.

If the Three Flowers Realm is the blossoming of the Spirit, then the Five Energies Returning to the Origin is the stage where one strengthens the Spirit and begins to handle intent.

I would say it is comparable to the realm of the entry level of the Transcendent Realm, beyond the mature State of Harmony.

Transcendent Realm.

It is stepping into a realm comparable to the Ten Great Masters of the Heavens, the undisputed peak of the Jianghu Murim.

It is also becoming able to stand shoulder to shoulder with my master, the Healing Sage.

Although it was a realm that could be called supreme, I had no intention of being satisfied there.

Isn't an excellent disciple one who practices ‘the student surpasses the master’?

Since the grace I received from the Healing Sage was great, it was a duty I could never ignore.

-This old master's ramblings have been long. I shall cut them short and get to the point.

-In order to enter the Fifth Stage, one must simultaneously take a spiritual medicine symbolizing Yin and a spiritual medicine symbolizing Yang and unite them with oneself.

-However, if there is a point to be noted, I recommend obtaining the spiritual medicine of extreme Yin first.

-It is because while protective tools that can block extreme Yin energy exist in the Jianghu Murim, there are no protective tools that can block and preserve extreme Yang energy.

-I will inform you that the only way is to obtain and preserve the spiritual medicine of extreme Yin, and then go to where the spiritual medicine of extreme Yang is and take them at once.

The Healing Sage's sincere explanation finally reached a conclusion after a long postscript.

-The closer the spiritual medicine is to extreme Yin and extreme Yang, the higher its efficacy will be.

-Since you have built a vast foundation, it is right to create a vast universe. This old master believes that the disciple will be able to obtain a correspondingly excellent spiritual medicine.

-Among the spiritual medicines of extreme Yin that this old master recommends, the best is the Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Snow Ginseng.

-Although this old master could not obtain it due to a lack of connection and took the Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Snow Spirit Grass instead, I hope that the disciple's connection will reach the Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Snow Ginseng.

-The spiritual medicine of extreme Yang is…….

By the time I reached the Fifth Stage, I realized that the Healing Sage's explanation had become truly magnificent.

Perhaps he was also feeling a fondness for the successor who had followed him this far.

Such a thought came to me.

* * *

“How on earth did you know that the delegation from the Northern Sea Ice Palace was coming to the Murim Alliance?”

Ma Sok asked with a curious gaze.

I thought that such a look was very similar to Yeo-wol's.

Even though we had been together for three years, he still hadn't been able to peek into my secrets, so although I knew the source of his curiosity, it was something I could never tell him, wasn't it?

As I smiled faintly without a word.

“Yes, I know. It must be a secret.”

Fortunately, he now seemed to know the person Dancheon Myeong well.

While being curious, the fact that he didn't try to dig deeper also showed a respect for me.

I would say it was just the right distance and just the right relationship.

Erasing a sense of apology for some reason, I brought up the main topic.

“So, have you secured the information?”

What I had requested from the Rogues’ Guild was not simply information about the existence of the Northern Sea Ice Palace delegation.

“Hoo- The Outer Regions factions are so secretive.”

It was a request for information about the specific route the Northern Sea Ice Palace delegation was taking.

It was because although I knew that the Northern Sea Ice Palace delegation would visit the Murim Alliance around this year, I did not know their specific travel route.

“Is there no way?”

I tried not to be disappointed.

How could everything in the world go as planned?

Since I knew that the destination of the Northern Sea Ice Palace delegation was the Murim Alliance, I could only comfort myself that there would be some way if I worked hard, using my skills from my time as Myeong-gae.

As I seemed to be resigning myself, Ma Sok, unlike his usual self, smiled mischievously and continued.

“I never said I couldn't get it.”

“Oh?”

“Isn't this the Rogues’ Guild?”

“Oh!”

“Ahem.”

Ma Sok puffed out his chest and swaggered.

I would say it was a very different appearance from the man named the Soul-Chasing and Life-Taking Ma Sok, whom I had encountered through the Thousand Immortals of the Jianghu during my time as Myeong-gae.

“Ahem. It was hard to get.”

After showing off for a moment, Ma Sok handed me the information and records he had organized.

“Thank you.”

Securing the route of the Northern Sea Ice Palace delegation to the Murim Alliance is not an easy task even for the Beggar's Gang.

It is because extracting secret information ultimately requires the persuasion and recruitment of insiders, which is a difficult method for the Beggar's Gang, whose advantage is eavesdropping.

Isn't it a method only possible for the Rogues’ Guild, which has a vast information network and is skilled in trickery and scheming?

“It's nothing compared to what you have done for us, Young Master.”

“Haha.”

In fact, Ma Sok's words were true to the point where he didn't need to be modest.

I cannot deny that I have been putting in effort all this time for moments like this.

“Then I will be on my way.”

Ma Sok's figure, which had only left a greeting in the air, melted into the darkness.

The statement that he had almost been caught seemed to have been just a joke, as his figure disappeared into the darkness much more ethereally than before.

I looked at the information sheet that Ma Sok had left behind.

Hwareuk.

With this amount of information, I could memorize it all in one reading, so I immediately burned it.

What was the reason for wanting the information of the Northern Sea Ice Palace delegation even to the point of mobilizing the information of the Rogues’ Guild?

The spiritual medicine that the Healing Sage recommended first among the spiritual medicines of extreme Yin to reach the Fifth Stage.

It was because I knew that the delegation of the Northern Sea Ice Palace possessed that very Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Snow Ginseng.

Wasn't the Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Snow Ginseng a precious treasure of the Northern Sea that had not shown its face in the Jianghu Murim for nearly a hundred years?

Fate was leading me to the Fifth Stage.

It is quite reasonable to think so.

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