CRS Chapter 17

Myungjin flew in a beautiful parabolic arc.

The Eight Talents Formation, which Wudang’s second-generation disciples had practiced for years, was mercilessly broken.

“Se-Senior Brother!”

Their respected senior brother had been knocked down with a single blow.

Moreover, he was unconscious.

Huh?

Something like foam was flowing from his mouth.

The second-generation disciples rushed over and shook Myungjin.

Seeing this, Eunho tilted his head.

It wasn’t that severe, was it?

Contrary to appearances, Eunho was someone who actually thought things through.

He wouldn’t knock out a second-generation disciple in front of Wudang’s sect leader and first-generation disciples.

‘He must be acting.’

He was clearly pretending to be unconscious out of embarrassment in front of his disciples.

Eunho chuckled.

He’s more cunning than he looks.

Eunho’s gaze turned to the platform above the training ground.

The sect leader and first-generation disciples had their mouths wide open.

Among them, the first to regain his senses was Tae-heo, the Medicine Hall Master.

He walked towards them.

“Step aside.”

Tae-heo moved the second-generation disciples away and checked Myungjin’s pulse.

“Hm?”

He’s more normal than expected. He was twitching and spitting out strange foam, so I thought he might have internal injuries.

Tae-heo looked closely at Myungjin’s face.

Myungjin’s eyelashes trembled slightly.

‘Is he opening his eyes a bit?’

Looking up at the surroundings, he saw the worried faces of the second-generation disciples.

‘This guy…’

If Myungjin were fine, they would have laughed at him for being knocked down with one blow.

Guessing the situation, Tae-heo shook his head and picked up Myungjin.

In fact, he had been feeling somewhat guilty about scolding him in front of his juniors earlier.

Tae-heo decided to help him this once.

“Sect Leader. Myungjin’s condition isn’t serious, but I’ll take him to the Medicine Hall for examination.”

Jinyang nodded vaguely, still with a dazed expression.

‘Even though it was the Eight Talents Formation performed by second-generation disciples, it shouldn’t be so easily broken… This is…’

It might be that an even more extraordinary person than expected had emerged from Cheonha Merchant Guild.

No matter how much he tried to shake off the thought, it kept coming back to his mind.

Immortal Jang Sambong, who had broken Shaolin’s One Hundred and Eight Arhats Formation at the age of ten.

The first Heavenly Demon, who single-handedly half-destroyed the Kunlun Sect at barely twenty.

Of course, compared to the feats they had shown, breaking the Eight Talents Formation was a minor matter.

‘But, the process…’

Hadn’t he just swung his sword a few times?

Jinyang’s eyes sparkled anew as he looked at Eunho.

‘Should I try to recruit him? For Wudang?’

He had never expected to have such ambition in his later years.

While the sect leader was deep in thought, Tae-heo, carrying Myungjin, approached Eunho and said,

“You come along too.”

Although his expression was stern, Eunho followed without a word.

After all, he had received a sound transmission that no one else had heard.

‘I have something to reward the benefactor who found my Extreme Azure Pill.’

If that’s the case, he would welcome it with open arms.

Eunho moved with light steps.

***

After roughly laying down Myungjin, who was unconscious – or rather, pretending to be unconscious – in a corner of the medical hall, Tae-heo called Eunho aside.

The place he led him to was a small hut behind the medical hall.

Eunho’s brow furrowed slightly.

What kind of hut vibrates with immortal energy?

It was so auspicious that it was unpleasant.

“Young master, do you sense anything here?”

Tae-heo asked Eunho with a triumphant expression.

This was the place Tae-heo cherished most in all of Wudang.

“Hmm, could the Extreme Azure Pill be here?”

“Hahaha! That’s right! You certainly know your stuff!”

Tae-heo was all smiles and excitement just looking at Eunho.

He opened the door wide with a lively movement.

“This is the Medicine Hall where all of Wudang’s spirit medicines are managed.”

His face was full of pride.

As soon as the door opened, an overwhelming amount of immortal energy poured out.

“Urgh!”

Eunho retched.

Is this an assassination attempt? Perhaps revenge from a disciple?

“Wh-What’s wrong?”

When Tae-heo asked in great confusion, Eunho shook his head while breathing roughly.

He had to endure. Didn’t he say there was a gift?

“I think… I ate too much breakfast.”

“Oh my, the sect leader did go overboard. Come to the medical hall a bit later. I’ll examine you myself.”

In one corner of the Medicine Hall, pine needles gathered from Wudang Mountain’s medicinal pines were piled up.

These were pine needles fully imbued with Wudang’s auspicious immortal energy.

Tae-heo carefully removed the pine needles.

Underneath were several small pills.

“These are pills I made myself using Wudang Sect’s secret techniques. When these pills are buried in pine needles for about ten years, most become Azure Clarity Pills. It allows them to absorb the immortal energy of Wudang Mountain. And occasionally, like this…”

Tae-heo picked up one pill that looked the most potent at a glance.

“It becomes the Extreme Azure Pill you found. Sometimes, even after more than ten years of aging, not a single Extreme Azure Pill is produced. It’s truly left to heaven’s will. That’s why it’s so precious.”

Eunho’s eyes sparkled.

Oh, so that’s how you make them?

Pleased with Eunho’s focused look, Tae-heo smiled gently and said,

“Although it’s not a Extreme Azure Pill, I can’t ignore the favor you’ve done. If you don’t mind an Azure Clarity Pill, please accept it. It’s only slightly inferior to the Extreme Azure Pill, but it’s still one of the rarest spirit pills in the world.”

However, Eunho shook his head.

“I’d be fine with just those pills over there.”

What Eunho pointed to were the pills that hadn’t even been placed in pine needles yet.

“Although those are also made from various medicinal ingredients and would be equivalent to good medicine prescribed by a skilled physician… they won’t help in increasing inner power.”

“That’s fine. Instead, I’d like to give them to my father and the chief steward at home. Would it be alright if I took a bit more?”

My! Such filial piety!

Deep emotion welled up in Tae-heo’s eyes.

“Take many! As many as you want! Those pills are surplus in Wudang anyway.”

“Thank you. Do you perhaps have a wooden box?”

“Of course. Wait a moment.”

Tae-heo rummaged in a corner and pulled out a wooden box, handing it over.

“Here you are.”

“Um… It’s too small.”

“My, your filial piety is truly admirable. Wait a bit.”

He rummaged again and brought out a larger wooden box.

“Is this size sufficient?”

“It’s small.”

“Ahem.”

Tae-heo tilted his head a few times, then pulled out the largest wooden box he could find.

It was big enough to easily hold about a hundred pills with room to spare.

“How about this?”

“Even… bigger…”

“What in the world, are you going to eat spirit pills for breakfast, lunch, and dinner…!”

“Pardon?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

He almost lost his composure for a moment.

Taking a small deep breath, Tae-heo went into the storage room behind and soon came out with a wooden box – no, a chest – as big as an adult’s torso.

“Yes. That size should do. It’s good.”

Although he felt it was slightly lacking, Eunho thought he might be kicked out if he asked for an even bigger one.

Eunho received the chest and used both hands to fill it with pills.

Once, twice, thrice…

After about fifteen times, the large chest was full.

Eunho looked at the chest with great satisfaction and smiled.

“I’ll make good use of these. Well then, I’ll be going.”

Then he leaped away with the chest, disappearing.

Tae-heo, left behind, watched his retreating figure with slightly vacant eyes.

“Make good use… of them?”

Didn’t he say he was taking them home?

Well, whatever.

Although he felt a bit uneasy, this much reward was possible for the benefactor who found the Extreme Azure Pill.

***

When dark clouds covered the moon, pitch-black darkness settled over Mount Wudang.

In the dead of night, when everyone had fallen asleep.

There was a figure moving stealthily, blending into the darkness.

His destination was none other than the Demon Cave.

It was the cave created by Eunho in his previous life.

Thick demonic energy wafted around, enveloping Eunho’s body.

Eunho closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.

“Ah. Refreshing. Who would have thought there’d be such a pure area in Wudang, filled with immortal energy.”

In Eunho’s hand was the chest full of pills.

He turned his head left and right, checking his surroundings several times.

For now, since it was a place Wudang Sect prohibited access to, it could cause unnecessary misunderstanding.

Although it was unlikely, the fewer loose ends, the better.

“Hehehe.”

After confirming there was nothing around, Eunho entered the cave with a sly smile.

Deep, deeper.

He could feel the demonic energy growing stronger.

The outer part of the cave had somewhat weakened due to Wudang’s immortal energy over time, but the inside was almost unchanged.

“I remember hitting it only a couple of times.”

It’s quite deep indeed.

He was newly impressed by his strength in his previous life.

Eunho, who had reached the innermost part of the cave using his lightness skill, carefully began to dig the ground.

When it became deep enough to be called a pit, he placed the chest inside.

The chest contained about five hundred pills.

“In a few years, they’ll become extraordinary demonic pills, won’t they?”

If even immortal energy absorbed from pine needles could create Extreme Azure Pills, he was excited to see what kind of amazing pills would be created in this massive demonic energy.

“If someone happens to steal and eat them…”

It was clear they would fall into qi deviation, but for Eunho, who knew how to handle demonic energy, they would become even better spirit medicine than Extreme Azure Pills.

It was a very satisfying day.

He had soundly beaten the annoying Myungjin, and in exchange for one Extreme Azure Pill, he had created five hundred demonic pills.

Humming happily, he left the cave with light steps.

“Huh?”

Eunho was startled.

Someone was in front of the cave.

Normally, he would have sensed them through his energy perception long before they got close, but the overwhelming demonic energy had masked their presence.

He carefully focused his divine sense to identify the person.

It was a familiar face.

“I saw everything.”

The one approaching with a resolute expression was none other than Myungjin.

“What, what did you see?”

“Haah, just be honest.”

“What are you talking about, you punk!”

He denied it outright for now.

If that didn’t work…

Eunho clenched his fist tightly.

There was something his master had once told him.

Sometimes, a hard blow to the head can cause short-term memory loss.

Whether aware of Eunho’s inner thoughts or not, Myungjin’s expression remained resolute and determined.

“You deliberately beat only me like that earlier today, didn’t you!”

Eunho sighed and relaxed his fist.

Is that all?

He tilted his head askew. He even stood with one leg cocked.

As thuggish and threatening as possible.

“So what, you got a problem…”

“Teach me.”

“What?”

Myungjin bowed his head.

“How can I become that strong?”

A chuckle escaped.

He didn’t come to confront, but to ask for teaching?

Eunho was conflicted. Myungjin had been annoying, but he was someone who made offerings to Fox Master Eunho every dawn out of sheer will to become stronger.

He couldn’t completely dislike him.

“I’ve never taught anyone. I don’t know how.”

Great disappointment spread across Myungjin’s face.

“But.”

“…!”

“I can show you.”

“Is, is that true?”

Eunho drew his sword without hesitation.

“That thing you showed earlier was the Eight Talents Formation?”

He closed his eyes.

He was reminded of when he met Jang Sambong.

Things that weren’t visible before learning martial arts now became apparent.

Huh, truly remarkable.

To think humans could create such a thing within their lifespan.

Of course, in terms of strength, the current Eunho was stronger.

But does that mean the Heaven-Shattering Sword Technique is a superior martial art?

That wasn’t the case either. It was just that the user was overwhelmingly strong.

Eunho, who had glimpsed Jang Sambong’s martial arts, opened his eyes again and looked at Myungjin.

“Once, just once. I don’t know if you’ll be able to see, but if you manage to see even the slightest thing…”

It will change you. A new world will open up.

Because this sword contained the full intention of the one who had realized – no, created – the ultimate meaning of the martial art he used.

“Draw your sword.”

Myungjin nodded with the same resolute expression and drew his sword.

It seems he’ll teach through a martial arts demonstration.

“Focus your eyes hard! Give it your best shot!”

This was all Eunho could do.

Myungjin swallowed hard and blinked once.

A moment? No, less than a moment.

He had only blinked once, but…

Eunho’s sword, which had been over three zhang away, was falling towards his head.

Eunho’s sword had already reached right in front of him.

There wasn’t even time to react.

Myungjin was struck on the head and collapsed.

But one thing was certain.

Before he fell.

In that brief moment when wind and clouds seemed to stop.

Ecstasy filled Myungjin’s eyes.

Thud.

Looking down at the fallen Myungjin, Eunho smiled as if surprised.

“You entered a state of no-self in that brief moment?”

Well, he was annoying in many ways, but not entirely dislikable.