Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter 17

After purchasing casual clothes from the Song family’s fabric store, I stepped outside. In my mind was a plan to curb the excessive aggression of the Huangshan Sect; it was less a special tactic than action based on experience. First, I headed downtown to separately buy nocturnal attire.

“Alright, time to make my move.”

First, I decided to test my internal energy by heading towards a dilapidated building. If my internal energy wasn’t up to the task, there was no point. Fortunately, there were plenty of abandoned places in the city. I chose one, inhaled the smell of rotting food waste, and slowly raised my hand.

*Kududuk*

“Wow… it worked.”

My fingers had completely embedded themselves into the stone wall. Three fingers had pierced the stone as if skewering tofu. A normal person wouldn’t be able to accomplish such a feat; all I did was channel my true qi (真氣, zhen qi) through my meridians to harden  my fingers. Just that turned my hand into a formidable weapon.

[TL/N: Zhen qi is the culmination of Zong qi (Gathering qi) and Yuan qi (Primordial qi). It is the final stage of Qi transformation. Can also be known as refined qi]

Then a thought crossed my mind; perhaps the internal energy I acquired is far superior to that of the thousand-year ginseng. Because the energies of black and white lotus combined with the ginseng, forming a balance, there was a possibility that the energy surpassed what one could get from the ginseng alone.

Slowly, I started writing characters on the stone wall. Despite my fingers being buried three inches deep into the stone, I could write effortlessly. 

Sadly, I was barely literate enough to read everyday characters or basic documents. I wouldn’t be able to retort if an average scholar called me uneducated. Even so, I could manage simple sentences, so I began writing with confidence.

[The Huangshan Sect is bullying the common folk]

The statement was straightforward, without any metaphor or allegory. It felt embarrassingly simple, but seeing it written out gave me satisfaction. After practicing, I decided to erase the evidence by using a palm technique.

The martial art I learned from Azure Dragon Martial Hall peaks at Eightfold Thunder Spirit Technique, with Silent Thunder Sword Technique and Silent Thunder Steps as my specialties. However, my instructor Jin So-cheong also imparted to me a recommended palm technique.

It’s called Thunder Cloud Palm.

According to Jin So-cheong, this was the martial art that elevated his master, Threefold Expert Lee Gwang, the owner of Azure Dragon Martial Hall, to legendary status. While Eightfold Thunder Spirit Technique  was undoubtedly the most powerful, Threefold Expert Lee Gwang had mastered spear, sword, and fist, becoming an apex master.

Originally, my mastery in Thunder Cloud Palm was at a mere 30%. Given that my specialties were in other forms, I hadn’t devoted much time to this palm technique, nor did I have the talent for it. I could barely manage basic moves and some adaptations.

*Sssssss*

“Uh…!!”

Following the form of Thunder Cloud Palm, I channeled my true qi into the palm of my hand. A bluish light burst forth, and lightning crackled around my arm. I was genuinely surprised; nothing like this had happened when I tried before.

‘Is it because of the thousand-year ginseng?’

*Crash!*

*Thud thud thud…*

“……”

Moments later, I struck the stone wall with Thunder Cloud Palm and was dumbfounded to see a hole large enough for a child to pass through. My original palm technique could at most inflict internal injuries or effective blows on people, but this was a different level of power altogether. Using this on a person would utterly shatter their upper body bones.

I watched as stone dust scattered and quickly snapped back to reality.

Snapping out of my daze, I thought, ‘I need to leave quickly.’ If I stayed, the noise would attract people. I hastily disappeared into the darkness of the alleyways. It was fortunate that there were no witnesses; otherwise, I would’ve found myself in a tangle with the local guards.

‘In any case, my plan is clearly feasible. I’ll start tomorrow at dawn.’

That night, I went to bed early and slept deeply. Having been scouring mountains and rivers for the thousand-year ginseng, I took the opportunity to recover and refresh. I even splurged on a hot bath, paying the innkeeper a generous amount for hot water. Money was running low, but in my eyes, it was a worthwhile luxury.

I dreamt of my late mother.

She was smiling in the dream, which lifted my spirits.

Before the sun could rise the next day, I put on my nocturnal attire and secretly moved downtown. I cautiously began to approach the luxurious residences and buildings that I had surveyed during the day.

I had just one task to complete.

It was just engraving characters into the stone walls of buildings with a finger.

[The Huangshan Sect is bullying the common folk]

Thud thud thud.

The scent of crushed stone and mineral filled the air as it rose from my fingertips. No matter how strong my internal energy had become, I couldn’t avoid a tingling sensation in my fingers. When I’d written in roughly 20 places, the pain in my finger was enough that I had to take a brief rest.

However, my goal today was to engrave these characters on at least 50 stone walls. I would write once every ten steps between buildings. The area I was moving around in usually had a high foot traffic and regular patrols. If I put up writings in 50 places, people would have to notice it.

“Ah, it’s the guards.”

I saw a group of three guards patrolling and quickly hid myself in an alley. Thankfully, they seemed to be a dawn patrol and not highly skilled in martial arts, so they didn’t notice my presence.

“Hmm… I want to write about ten more times. What should I do?”

I could ambush the guards and use pressure points to knock them out, buying myself more time.

“No, that’s enough. Let’s call it quits here.”

But today, I decided to call it quits and hid in the darkness. It’s better to leave my trail to a minimum than to leave too much of a trace.

“Whaaat!”

“What is this?!”

“Wang-il-ah! Go report this to the commander immediately!”

“Yes…”

Shortly afterward, I heard the guards discover the writing on the stone walls and create a commotion.

And as daylight broke, I was lying on a guesthouse bed, pretending to know nothing. The landlord had no reason to question me since I had rented the room for three days. I then sat back and calmly practiced my internal energy training.

Woosh—

I’d only circulated my internal energy a couple of times, but I felt it roaring through me like an erupting volcano. A chilling rush of Qi circulated through my blood vessels, puncturing even the finest veins. Each time I practiced, my internal energy felt like it was accumulating more and more.

“Ever since the Life and Death Mysterious Gate was opened, all my fine veins have been penetrated…”

This was indeed incredible. To become stronger, piercing through the fine veins was essential, but it was an incredibly difficult process. The potential internal energy has to be significant, otherwise, it would take normal martial artists a lifetime to pierce just the major meridians.

Once the fine veins are penetrated, the speed of Qi transmission increases and the body’s defense significantly strengthens when hardened with internal energy.

To exceed this state, one must transform their internal energy into an overflowing fountain of power, just like me right now. I never imagined that I would achieve such a state. If I keep training, my martial arts will surely reach the peak.

After finishing my morning training, I stepped outside the room, only to have the innkeeper making a fuss.

“Oh dear… something big has happened, sir. Please don’t go out today.”

“What’s going on?

“Some madman has created a scene in the streets, and now the commanders and the guards are running around like crazy… You might end up in jail for no reason. Please keep your door locked. I’ll bring your meals.”

“A scene?”

I acted as if I didn’t know, even though I was the one who did it. Then the innkeeper cautiously said, after making sure no one was around.

“Someone wrote criticizing the Huangshan Sect… and it was written on the stone walls!”

“Oh… Wouldn’t that be the work of a martial arts expert?”

Ah, that was a close call. But since I acted as if nothing was wrong, the innkeeper didn’t suspect me at all.

“Such martial arts experts aren’t common, you know… But deep down, people like them.”

“Why do they like them?”

“Because it’s the truth.”

Stuttering awkwardly, the innkeeper spoke.

“Anyway, please come inside!”

“Understood.”

As promised, the innkeeper personally prepared a meal by hand and personally delivered it to my room. Inside the room, I ate boiled eggs, steamed rice, and chicken dishes, pondering to myself.

‘The innkeeper has no intention of reporting me for a reward. Seems like he doesn’t want to get involved in troublesome affairs.’

Though it might seem unreasonable, considering the size of the inn, it was a plausible way of thinking. Perhaps the innkeeper suspects I’m the criminal. Regardless of whether I am or not, he doesn’t want to get involved because there’s no guarantee of getting a reward. Moreover, if the soldiers sweep in for an investigation, it will inevitably harm his business.

In a way, this shows that local authorities are not very trusted here. They don’t show consideration for commoners or merchants, hence their lack of credibility.

I felt lucky in my own way. If the innkeeper wanted the reward and was suspicious, I’d be in a bothersome situation by now. My intuition seemed right as the innkeeper and soldiers had some discussion outside before the soldiers left. Probably, the innkeeper loosely dismissed them by saying he ‘hadn’t seen anyone suspicious.’

I didn’t feel the need to move anymore. Instead, I sat quietly in the inn and pondered my next steps.

‘This will definitely work. The Huangshan Sect has no choice but to retreat.’

The method of throwing anonymous tips onto the lower streets’ stone walls.

This was not my original idea.

It comes from the most memorable event in my decades-long memory, called the “Jeomchang Disturbance”. 

Years ago, inner disciples of the ancient Jeomchang Sect were collecting excessive tribute from local residents. They went so far as to rape women from the brothels and kill civilians, yet their actions were covered up.

Then one day, anonymous flyers were posted throughout the villages in the Jeomchang Sect’s area. The flyers declared, “The Jeomchang Sect is an evil faction that robs people of their property.”

The news reached the ears of the emperor’s younger brother, Duke of Yunnan, who was furious and called for an investigation. Despite the sect’s denial, their atrocities were revealed, and the sect was immediately disbanded.

The leader of the Jeomchang Sect took his own life, and the elders, unable to bear the humiliation, fled overnight. Even though this incident happened at the southernmost tip of the central continent, it remained the talk of the town for years.

This incident also redefined the relationship between the government and the martial arts world. Although there had been an unspoken rule of non-interference, it revealed that the government could suppress the martial world anytime.

Of course, my method is quite different from the Jeomchang Disturbance. 

The Jeomchang incident involved multiple villages, whereas I only targeted the busiest street in Huangshan. Also, I didn’t write and post flyers; I simply etched my message into a stone wall.

Nevertheless, the fact that it caught the attention of the officials and was exposed to the commoners and the crowd has its own meaning. The corrupt officials who took bribes from the Huangshan Sect will have to speak up.

“Maybe the Huangshan Sect should tone it down?”

And this single phrase will be something even Yong Jung-il, the leader of the Huangshan Sect who goes by the title “Dragon Slaying Divine Sword”, can’t ignore.

***

It was the third day since I had confirmed that my plan had been set into motion.

“Woww…”

“They’ve arrived….”

Suddenly, the sound of murmuring filled the street. When I stepped outside, I saw martial artists dressed in yellow robes walking in groups. From their clothes and emblems, I quickly recognized that these were the martial artists of the “Huangshan Sect”.

Leading the procession of Huangshan Sect martial artists were exceptional experts, who were evidently elders or leading figures of the sect. Ever since I had absorbed the energy of the Millennium Snow Ginseng, my ability to sense Qi had greatly enhanced. I could not gauge the latent power emanating from the four leading experts; their Qi was beyond my capability to measure.

In other words – all four were peak masters who are capable of manifesting their Qi!

And such individuals could only be the elders or leading figures sustaining the Huangshan Sect.

‘I still can’t face those guys in a head-on battle.’

Each one had skills capable of ruling the world. Even if four individuals from the Azure Dragon Martial Hall stood there, it would make no difference.

I still needed time.

Time to grow into a martial arts master with the power of the Millennium Snow Ginseng.

Watching the procession from the second floor of the inn, I closed the window.

The next day, rumors circulated.

“The leading figure of the Huangshan Sect acknowledges past wrongdoings and contributes silver ingots for the endless prosperity of the region!”

“Moreover, the Huangshan Sect agrees to cooperate extensively with the local authority for maintaining public order!”

Accompanying this news were absurd praises, stating that the local authority found this regrettable and that the Huangshan Sect’s leading figure was magnanimous. Naturally, it was all nonsense.

To summarize:

The leading figure of the Huangshan Sect, feeling pressured, had come to consult with the local authority.

And as a result of the discussion, decided to contribute silver ingots.

Furthermore, they cleverly facilitated the Huangshan Sect’s expansion under the pretext of ‘maintaining public order.’

Though they would assist in maintaining public order, this would make the commoners feel the sect’s influence more strongly.

‘Does the Huangshan Sect have some sort of brilliant strategist?’

Or perhaps their own headmaster possessed an extraordinarily brilliant mind.

Looking at the big picture, the Huangshan Sect did not incur any significant losses. They were merely returning extorted money to the commoners and had utilized this as an opportunity to further their influence. Additionally, they likely bribed the local authority, thereby solidifying their partnership.

It was ridiculous, but that’s how the world works. I had to accept it. At least, due to my actions, the Huangshan Sect would be cautious about demanding tribute from commoners for the time being. That alone seemed enough to make life bearable for the common folk, and I felt that I had done my part.

However, as I left the inn that day and headed for Luoyang, I took a fleeting glance back.

‘Those Huangshan Sect guys seem like they’re all good-for-nothings. You guys are marked by me.’

The day my life gets back on track by deciphering Heavenly Tome of Dark Mysteries, the Huangshan Sect will meet an unprecedented huge loss.