The medicinal power of the Nine Treasure Pill held onto Jeok Yorap's soul, which was crossing the Yellow Springs.
In the meantime, Hua Yunhui had him take the Qi Revitalizing Soup and used his golden needle technique to boost his vitality.
After an hour, Jeok Yorap's pulse began to revive.
His breathing also gradually began to stabilize.
"That's it. He'll live."
Hua Yunhui nodded with a satisfied smile.
Now the problem was the child.
The child whose body the golden needles could not pierce.
He showed no signs of waking up, and his body was running a fever.
"Old man."
"What is it?"
At Hua Yunhui's call, the old man lying on the innermost bed turned his head and answered.
"You said you were a martial artist, right?"
"I was."
"How can you explain the phenomenon happening inside this kid's body?"
"...?"
"There's an energy like a martial artist's internal energy fluctuating inside his body."
"He has internal energy?"
"Otherwise, it can't be explained. Acquired qi can't be this great."
There are two kinds of energy in a person's body.
The innate qi that one is born with, and the acquired qi that is naturally accumulated while living.
When you face someone, there are those who have a presence that overwhelms the other person. That is a person with strong acquired qi.
Even an ordinary person who has not learned martial arts will accumulate killing intent if they kill people. That is also acquired qi.
The old man, who had shown interest at the mention of internal energy, soon lost interest after seeing the young appearance of Cho Myung, who was lying as if asleep.
How much internal energy could a child's body have?
"How is the child's pulse?"
"It's calm. He's asleep."
"Then it's not a phenomenon of qi deviation, so it should be fine to just leave him be."
"You think so?"
"Most internal energy will try to recover if the body is strained to the point of losing consciousness. When that happens, you get a fever and so on."
"Then should I watch him for about a day?"
"You said the golden needles don't work anyway, right?"
"That's right. It's like he has an indestructible diamond body or something."
"What an indestructible diamond body, he must have learned some external martial arts."
Martial arts are broadly divided into two types depending on how one trains and exerts internal energy (the power obtained through training).
Internal martial arts and external martial arts.
Internal martial arts is to accumulate external qi in the body through qi circulation and breathing (dantian breathing), refine that energy through practice, and gather and release that energy to the outside according to a set method.
External martial arts are based on a strong body.
The power obtained by training the body, including the muscles of the limbs, is called external power, and since the circulation of qi is ultimately connected to the body, external power is also naturally exerted every time one throws a punch or a kick.
The history of martial arts is long, spanning thousands of years.
In that long history, martial artists have researched and devised stronger martial arts.
However, there is a limit to training the human body.
That's why they focused on internal martial arts.
It developed to the stage of refining and condensing the energy of nature and accumulating it in the dantian, and even pioneered a superhuman martial realm called the absolute realm.
On the other hand, external martial arts, which had hit a limit, gradually declined and degenerated into a second-rate martial art learned only by low-level martial artists.
"External martial arts? Didn't you say you were from that side too, old man?"
The old man said nothing and closed his mouth, then even turned his head away.
Somehow, it seemed like he was feeling an unspeakable pain, so Hua Yunhui didn't say any more.
"It seems to be about dinner time, why isn't Stonehead coming?"
Hua Yunhui grumbled and looked out the window.
The western sky was turning red.
It was that night.
In the patient room, which was illuminated by a single faint oil lamp, the sound of snoring could be heard.
Five people were sleeping in the patient room.
The old man with age spots was sleeping as if dead on the innermost bed, and on the bed directly across from him, Hua Yunhui was sleeping.
Cho Myung and Jeok Yorap were lying on the beds next to each other near the entrance of the patient room, and the snoring was coming from the bed opposite them.
Seokcheong.
He was the one who was snoring.
Drrr-ung pooh! Drrr-ung pooh!
The snoring, which had started in the early evening, showed no signs of stopping even as the night deepened.
It was around midnight, when the momentum of yin and yang had completely reversed.
Drrr-ung pooh! Ood-deuk! Drrr-ung pooh! Ood-deuk!
A strange sound was interspersed between the snores.
It was clearly the sound of friction from bones dislocating or twisting.
Drrr-ung pooh! Ood-deuk! Drrr-ung? Ood-deuk-deuk!
As the sound of bones breaking continued, the snoring Seokcheong frowned.
Ood-deuk! Ood-deuk-deuk!
The sound of bones breaking continued.
"What is it! If it hurts, go to the young master."
Was it because of Seokcheong's sleep-talking?
The sound of bones breaking stopped.
Drrr-ung pooh! Drrr-ung pooh!
As the surroundings became quiet, Seokcheong began to snore again.
It was at this moment that a person sat up from a bed.
It was the old man with age spots all over his face.
The old man got out of bed without a sound, went to Hua Yunhui, pressed his acupoint to prevent him from waking up, and then headed to Cho Myung's bed.
His face was full of interest.
Ood-deuk! Ood-deuk! Ood-deuk-deuk!
The sound of bones breaking began to be heard from Cho Myung's body again.
Unlike before, it was short and fast.
"Why is it so noisy. If it hurts, go to the young master..."
Seokcheong, who was sleep-talking, closed his mouth and started snoring again.
The old man with age spots had pressed his acupoint.
The old man approached Cho Myung again and watched.
Ood-deuk! Ood-deuk! Ood-deuk!
The sound of bones breaking was heard from all over Cho Myung's body.
The joints were strangely bent and then returned to their place, and the waist was bent and then straightened, and the bones all over his body were twisted and then straightened repeatedly.
"Is he undergoing a bone and marrow cleansing?"
The old man's interest turned to surprise.
Bone and marrow cleansing!
It refers to the reconstruction of the body when one's internal energy becomes profound and reaches a high level, or when one consumes a precious elixir or the inner core of a spiritual beast that only appears in legends.
If an ordinary person undergoes a bone and marrow cleansing, they will live a long and healthy life, and if a martial artist undergoes a bone and marrow cleansing, they will obtain the optimal body to reach the peak of the super-master level in one fell swoop.
This is because bone and marrow cleansing not only strengthens the skeleton but also expels the waste products accumulated in the qi and blood vessels of the whole body, creating the most ideal body for circulating internal energy.
"Hmm."
The old man, who seemed to be witnessing the bone and marrow cleansing he had only heard about, watched quietly.
The sound of bones breaking was heard ceaselessly from Cho Myung's body.
It seemed that every bone in his body was moving at least once.
The skin would bulge out to the point of being taut and then return to its place.
After half an hour of this, it suddenly became quiet as if he were dead.
"The bones are set, so is he going to start the marrow cleansing now...?"
The old man was muttering in a low voice.
A fever began to rise from Cho Myung's body.
It got hotter and hotter, and the air became so hot that the old man, who was sitting close to the bed, was surprised and had to move back.
It was hard to believe that it was a fever from a human body.
It made the whole room stuffy, as if a brazier had been lit in the middle of winter.
Cho Myung's body also turned red.
It looked as if iron had been heated.
The old man, unable to hide his surprise and bewilderment, could not take his eyes off Cho Myung's body.
How much time had passed like that?
A yellow, viscous waste product, like sweat, flowed out from Cho Myung's body through his pores.
The waste product dried up on his heated body.
After about an hour.
As the old man watched with great interest, something surprising happened.
Cho Myung's body slowly stood up, as if someone were pulling him up.
The old man watched the scene, holding his breath.
Cho Myung stood tall on the bed.
He had grown half a foot taller.
The old man was more interested in what would happen next than in the physical changes.
In the midst of this, a mass of black smoke-like substance shot up from the top of Cho Myung's head.
It was an energy that emanated a strong momentum, like the source of a demon, the demonic qi.
Immortal Demonic Aura!
It was the very energy that had been passed on to Cho Myung from the Immortal Divine Demon, who had been barely subdued after the Ten Orthodox Heavens and the Seven Demonic Venerables had all joined forces and sacrificed half of their number.
The Immortal Demonic Aura floated around Cho Myung's body.
And it began to replenish its energy by absorbing the energy of heaven and earth.
As the old man watched, holding his breath, after an hour, the Immortal Demonic Aura, which had looked like a mass of black smoke, recovered its energy and transformed into the shape of a giant snake.
The Immortal Demonic Aura, which had taken that form, shot towards the old man who was holding his breath and stopped right in front of his face.
The old man flinched but did not avoid it.
"I am not an enemy."
He didn't know why he said that.
The old man felt that the Immortal Demonic Aura was like a living creature.
So he said that reflexively.
Perhaps because it did not feel any hostility from the old man, the Immortal Demonic Aura returned to Cho Myung.
It wrapped around Cho Myung's legs and then his whole body, shot up into the air, and then plunged into the top of his head, disappearing in an instant.
Soon, Cho Myung, who had been standing tall on the bed, was slowly laid back down, still stiff.
After that, nothing happened.
The old man, who had been watching without moving for a little longer, leaned in close to Cho Myung's face and examined him.
Cho Myung was sleeping soundly, like a child of his age.
"It's hard to believe even after seeing it!"
An energy in the shape of a black snake.
If it was indeed the materialization of internal qi, it could not be explained by the martial arts realm of ordinary martial artists.
In the Daoist school, the realm of Five Qi Courting the Origin is considered the first step into the supreme realm that a human body can reach.
The realm of Five Qi Courting the Origin is when the five energies with the properties of the five elements each form a ring above the head during qi circulation and breathing. It is said that those energies open the skull and show a new world.
When enlightenment deepens by one more stage, the five energies are said to bloom into three flower buds, and this realm is called Three Flowers Gathering at the Summit.
And the last.
The completion realm of the supreme realm.
Heavenly Flowers in Profusion!
One ascends to heaven as a golden lotus flower blooms.
It is ascension.
However, in a very small fraction of the Daoist lineage, one more realm is mentioned between Three Flowers Gathering at the Summit and Heavenly Flowers in Profusion.
That is the Red Snake Piercing the Crown.
It is said that when one circulates qi, a red snake pierces the skull and shoots up, communicates with the energy of heaven and earth, and then disappears back into the skull.
If the completion realm, Heavenly Flowers in Profusion, is to enter the divine realm and ascend to the immortal realm, then the Red Snake Piercing the Crown is the realm of responding to the divine energy.
"Well, well..."
He had witnessed something that he couldn't believe or disbelieve, something that the old man's mind couldn't understand.
Of course, it was impossible to think that he had gone through the stages of Five Qi Courting the Origin and Three Flowers Gathering at the Summit at such a young age, so it probably wasn't the Red Snake Piercing the Crown.
Nevertheless, the scene he had just seen was truly amazing.
Moreover, the phenomenon of the bones of the body twisting and dislocating and then returning to their place, and the body turning red like heated iron while the waste products inside the body were expelled, was undoubtedly a bone and marrow cleansing.
That meant that the child in front of him had obtained a perfect body for learning martial arts.
Whether it was the Red Snake Piercing the Crown or something else, since he had an unimaginable energy in his body, if he just learned the art of using his hands and feet or weapons, he had the sufficient conditions to become an absolute master.
The old man could assert that if he had a disciple who had an absolute value to him, the child in front of him would be that disciple.
"Is this what a connection is? I have a reason to live a little longer."
The old man who muttered incomprehensible words.
Even with a face that had become pale due to his advanced illness, he sat next to Cho Myung's bed for a long time.
Outside, the dark hours continued to flow.
***
As always, the first to wake up was Hua Yunhui.
Hua Yunhui, who had jumped out of bed, washed his face with cold water and returned.
Then he took care of the patient.
Until a few months ago, Hua Yunhui had been taking care of four patients. Three of them had succumbed to their long illnesses and passed away one by one.
Hua Yunhui, who had returned to the patient room, checked on Jeok Yorap first.
He was sleeping more soundly than yesterday. His pulse was weak but steady.
"Is it because he has a healthy body for an old man? He's holding on well."
Jeok Yorap's condition was improving to the point where he could be relieved.
Hua Yunhui, who had put his mind at ease, checked on Cho Myung.
Cho Myung's pulse was surprisingly normal, no, it was so strong that it was overflowing with energy.
He didn't have a fever either.
Now, if he just opened his eyes, he would be perfectly normal.
"I'll never understand the bodies of martial artists."
Hua Yunhui, who had muttered while shaking his head, headed to the old man with age spots' bed.
As always, when Hua Yunhui returned after washing his face, the old man with age spots was awake.
Hua Yunhui checked the old man's pulse first.
"Huh? You're unusually energetic today too, old man. If it's like today, you might live a long life."
"I'm starting to think that the saying that the will controls the body might be true."
"What do you mean?"
"When I decided to live a little longer, my body felt energized."
"Oh-ho! That's admirable. How did you come to think that way?"
"Looking at that strange child over there makes me think that way."
The old man gestured with his chin towards the bed where Cho Myung was sleeping.
"What's so strange about him?"
"You said the golden needles wouldn't go into his body, right?"
"You didn't show much reaction yesterday... if it's that strange, should I try again?"
"Don't. There must be a reason why the needles don't go in."
"Um... that's right. There must be a reason why the needles don't go in."
Hua Yunhui had been extraordinary since he was young.
Even though he was only fourteen, he had learned such outstanding medical skills that he could take on seriously ill patients.
Such a Hua Yunhui had a peculiar personality that did not match his brilliant brain.
When there was a part that could not be explained by his knowledge, he would distance himself from it, thinking that there must be a reason for it, just like now.
It had become a habit to focus more on studying medicine in that time rather than clinging to things he couldn't understand, and in other words, he had acquired his current medical skills by focusing more on the parts he could understand and comprehend.
"Should I bring you some porridge?"
Hua Yunhui asked the old man.
"Can I eat it?"
"You've been consistently taking the decoction, so porridge should be fine."
"Then bring me a little."
When the old man said he would eat, Hua Yunhui went to one of the beds.
There, Seokcheong was sleeping soundly, snoring.
Hua Yunhui grabbed the nose of Seokcheong, who was making a loud noise.
"Gasp?"
Seokcheong, who was snoring, was startled and struggled, then shot up.
"How long are you going to sleep?"
"I thought I was going to die! You could have just woken me up with words..."
"We couldn't sleep all night because of your snoring, and you're getting angry over that?"
When Hua Yunhui glared at him, Seokcheong, who knew well that he snored loudly, quickly got out of bed.
"Shall I serve breakfast?"
Seokcheong, who was laughing foolishly.
Hua Yunhui, since it was a daily occurrence, withdrew his glare and said.
"Bring porridge to Old Man Ban."
"He wants to live?"
Seokcheong looked back at the old man with age spots, that is, Old Man Ban, with surprised eyes.
Old Man Ban was lying on the bed and just turned his head to look at the two.
Unlike other times, he had a smiling face from the morning.
"Wow, it seems he's really changed his mind. Old Man Ban, you've made a good decision. I'll bring it to you right away."
"Thank you."
When Old Man Ban smiled and replied, Seokcheong turned his head and was about to go outside.
It was because he had to go to the building where the kitchen was to get the meal.
"What should I bring for that kid?"
Seokcheong, who was just turning towards the door, asked with his gaze fixed.
"He has to wake up to eat."
"He's awake."
Hua Yunhui, who turned around with a face that said "What are you talking about?" at Seokcheong's words.
The child was really sitting up.
"Oh, he really is."
A bewildered expression appeared on Hua Yunhui's face.