Dokmaeuiseon - Chapter 10

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 10

 

 

Jung Myeong had been examining his martial arts for the past few days.

 

Name: Jung Myeong Profession: Alchemist (7) / Martial Artist (8) / Physician (8) Internal Energy: 21 years

 

Internal energy of 21 years.

The power of the Three Origin Poison Art, which had grown stronger along with the abilities absorbed from the Three Origin Heart Technique.

Through this, his internal energy continued to rise.

It was thanks to absorbing the meridians scattered throughout his body.

In addition, his foundational skills had also improved considerably.

Analysis, Extraction, and Combination were at the center.

His Martial Artist and Physician skills were the same.

 

‘With this much, I should be able to live anywhere without problems. Wow, it wasn’t long ago I was excited about 10 years of internal energy… This is insane.’

 

Truly a feeling of worlds apart!

A level that could be considered foundational.

Now, not long after his awakening.

The situation was even better when he thought that his talent had just begun to bloom.

 

‘Now I need to spread my wings here.’

 

So he decided to make his move.

He had been staying in his guest room examining his martial arts.

Even though he had gold ingots, hadn’t he carefully observed that there would be no particular trouble?

Now it was time to move confidently.

And so the place he headed to was unexpected.

 

“Is anyone there?”

 

It was a bookstore.

 

[Hanwon Bookstore]

 

A place with a fitting name for Hangzhou.

Jung Myeong stepped into that place.

As soon as he entered, he heard a familiar voice.

 

“Who is it… Huh!? Doctor!”

“Oh. You run a bookstore?”

 

The other person was the old man who had been positioned beside Old Man Jang.

 

‘His name was Wang Ho.’

 

With his gruff voice and matching appearance, he seemed far removed from a bookstore filled with books.

Who would have thought he’d meet him at this bookstore.

 

‘Surprising.’

 

Perhaps reading that expression.

Old Man Wang spoke as if making an excuse.

 

“Ahem… Though I may look like this, I used to act as a Saengwon in my youth, so that’s how it came to be.”

“Oh! You were a Saengwon?!”

“Hmph. Even so, I’m someone who failed the provincial examination.”

“Still, to have been a Saengwon is amazing!”

 

Saengwon.

Those qualified to take the provincial examination.

One might say what’s so great about just a provincial exam.

But even so, being a Saengwon wasn’t easy.

In this era of earning today and starving tomorrow, how could living by reading books alone be ordinary?

Either the family had what’s called connections somewhere.

Or if not that, the family had to be wealthy to be able to act as a Saengwon.

 

‘It seems his family was probably wealthy.’

 

From the looks of it, the old man seemed to be the latter.

The bookstore that looked old, the ancient books stacked layer upon layer.

That was the evidence.

It was a bookstore with more years embedded in it than the old man himself.

Old Man Wang had clearly inherited that place.

 

‘Anyway, this is good.’

 

Jung Myeong and Old Man Wang. Though their relationship wasn’t quite at the level of connections yet.

Since they were acquainted, he would probably treat him well.

Jung Myeong spoke of his business with a relieved expression.

 

“I see you have plenty of ancient books… Do you happen to deal in martial arts books as well as academic books?”

“Martial Arts Manuals? They’re not entirely absent.”

“Oh!”

“But they would be useless. The level of Martial Arts Manuals here is obvious, isn’t it.”

“Come now. These are items that you possess, sir.”

“Hehe. Calling me sir. Even if you gild it like that, there’s nothing special.”

 

Look at this.

As soon as he mentioned his business, wasn’t he worrying about his wallet?

 

‘The effect of being acquainted.’

 

If there had been no connection, there would be no worry.

He would have just sold them.

This is why it’s good to know each other’s faces.

 

“I don’t mind even miscellaneous books.”

“It seems like you’d be wasting money, Doctor… If I sell them for nothing, only I’ll get scolded by Jang’s Son.”

 

The Old Man showed clear signs of hesitation.

Jung Myeong needed to give him a reason.

 

“Actually, there are a few things I’d like to study.”

“Study?”

“Yes. After medical texts, what knows the human body better than Martial Arts Manuals? Since I work as a Gangho Physician, I need to study the human body, but I’m lacking in some areas.”

“Ah! That’s what you mean! I understand!”

 

After a brief persuasion, the Old Man finally led him inside.

Past quite a few books, to the very back.

 

“Achoo!”

 

In a place where dust was flying everywhere, Martial Arts Manuals were placed.

Next to them were various odds and ends scattered about, showing how they were treated.

They couldn’t throw them away since they had them, but they didn’t sell either, so they just left them there.

They were treated like useless trash.

However, they looked different to Jung Myeong’s eyes.

 

‘Jackpot!’

 

Before he knew it, Jung Myeong was clenching his fists.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Earth Movement Technique specialized in digging ground.

Water Flow Technique that helped easily understand water currents or breathe underwater.

Wall Tiger Technique that allowed movement along walls.

Turtle Breathing Great Method that could be used for survival by entering a suspended state.

 

The Old Man said they were close to basic level.

Surprisingly, all of them were recognized as Skill Books.

 

“I’ll learn them all!”

 

[You have learned Earth Movement Technique.]

[You have learned Water Flow Technique.]

[You have learned Wall Tiger Technique.]

[You have learned Turtle Breathing Great Method.]

 

Jung Myeong learned all of these as soon as he entered his Guest Room.

Related basic knowledge, methods of controlling meridians, and ways of operating qi penetrated his mind.

 

What is called earth movement is…

Placing oneself in the flow of water is water flow, and that…

What is called tiger stance is…

The foundation of life is breath. That breath is…

 

“Ugh…”

 

His head began to throb.

It was painful.

But thinking that he was gaining new power, it wasn’t unbearable.

Jung Myeong gritted his teeth and endured it.

 

“Isn’t this crazy?”

 

The feast of knowledge he gained afterward was amazing.

It wasn’t something to be dismissed as just basic.

Ordinary Martial Artists often ignored them, calling them basic.

But that wasn’t right, because being basic made this knowledge even more precious to Jung Myeong.

Simply put, the first two Martial Arts he learned.

 

Earth Movement Technique that easily softened and dug ground.

Wall Tiger Technique that broke rocks and allowed climbing walls.

 

If you looked closely at these two, there was a common point.

 

“If I develop them a bit more, wouldn’t they become Claw Technique?”

 

What’s commonly called Claw Technique is a Martial Art that uses claw blades on hands.

Learning this Claw Technique made it possible to strike or tear enemies at beast-like speed.

Surprisingly, these foundations were mixed into Earth Movement Technique and Wall Tiger Technique.

 

‘Even if all streams return to the source… it seems connected from the start?’

 

It wasn’t unreasonable since claw blades used in Claw Technique were very short weapons.

As a result, the mysteries naturally focused on using hands in connection with Claw Technique.

Weren’t Earth Movement Technique and Wall Tiger Technique also about using hands?

If the two were connected well, the mysteries of Claw Technique weren’t that far away.

 

‘Whether it’s dirt or stone, if you practice tearing and breaking hard things, wouldn’t humans be… easy? Come to think of it, Water Flow Technique is about riding flows, so using that might strengthen it even more?’

 

Anyway.

Especially these two didn’t use claw blades but strengthened the hands themselves.

And operated them in complex ways.

If he raised his cultivation level.

It seemed possible to act like a Claw Technique master.

 

The ones he learned afterward.

Water Flow Technique and Turtle Breathing Great Method weren’t to be ignored either.

 

‘Ten out of ten Martial Arts are about breathing.’

 

Starting with breathing makes it a Heart Method.

Focusing on controlling breathing makes it Lightness Skill.

The gaps between techniques are also created from breathing.

All of this ultimately means one thing.

Martial arts begin with breathing and end with breathing.

 

But look at this thing called Water Flow Technique.

It increases the cardiopulmonary capacity, which is the foundation of breathing, by several times.

When mastered, it’s said to be possible to hold one’s breath underwater for an entire hour.

 

‘The Turtle Breathing Great Method is even more so.’

 

The so-called Turtle Breathing Great Method that puts one into a state of suspended animation.

This was a bizarre martial art that allowed one to survive for days on shallow breaths.

How profound must it be to enable a state of suspended animation?

Water Flow Technique and Turtle Breathing Great Method.

If he succeeded in circulating these two unconsciously.

 

‘The gaps in breathing would disappear.’

 

Gaps in breathing.

The so-called connecting gaps between techniques.

That weakness itself could disappear.

The disappearance of gaps meant the possibility of continuous attacks.

Even with the same martial art, being able to use techniques several more times meant the depth of one’s martial arts would deepen several times over.

 

The utility didn’t only apply to techniques.

It would also be possible to breathe more deeply and circulate Heart Methods for longer periods.

They say that beyond a certain level, mental energy is more important than breathing.

But at his current level, it would definitely be helpful.

 

‘I shouldn’t have dismissed basic martial arts. How to use the mysteries each one possesses is what’s important. In the end, is application the answer?’

 

Before learning the basic martial arts.

He had somewhat anticipated their utility,

but this was a more surprising discovery than expected.

As he was savoring the knowledge gained from this.

 

[Understanding of martial arts increases.]

[Realm has slightly increased.]

 

“Huh… This is also counted as enlightenment.”

 

Surprisingly, the system recognized his enlightenment as growth.

Jung Myeong’s mouth fell open again.

But this wasn’t all there was to it.

 

“Then, how about the remaining one?”

 

He looked at the one he had saved to learn last, though it was called miscellaneous arts.

The last book that the old man from the bookstore had reluctantly given him.

 

[Alchemy Method – Foundation]

 

Alchemy Method. A special technique used by immortals who learned sorcery or alchemists to create pills.

This technique was the long-awaited last one.

It hadn’t been easy to obtain.

 

-What is this?

-It’s an Alchemy Method that was rumored to have come from a fallen Great Sect.

-A Great Sect?

-Yes. I acquired it at quite an expensive price.

-So did you succeed in learning it?

-Hmm… If I had learned it, would it be here? There’s a mysterious principle to it, something is there but…

-Ooh… You learned that?

-I tried for a few years in my youth and gave up. I threw it aside because I got sick of looking at it, never knowing it would end up here…

-Sell it to me.

-Huh…

 

He had to put in effort to persuade Old Man Wang.

The old man didn’t want to easily give up this one thing, regardless of everything else.

 

-I’ll carry on your will and study it well.

-Still, it’s a bit… Hehe.

-If I succeed and get the first result, I’ll bring it to you right away. How about that?

-Hmm… Then you’ll give me a pill?

-That would probably be the case.

-A pill…

-Wouldn’t that be better than just leaving it like this?

-Good!

-Thank you!

 

After persuasion with conditions attached.

The old man handed over the book.

Even until the very end when he handed it over, his regretful expression was evident.

Though he called it a small attempt in his youth.

For him, staying at Saengwon Academy, it might have been his own means for a breakthrough.

 

‘That’s why he held onto it for years.’

 

Though he had thrown it aside in one corner of the bookshelf due to the resistance of regret.

Handing this over was not an easy thing to do.

 

Jung Myeong could only get his hands on this Alchemy Method after promising the old man, who regretted it until the very end,

several times that he would definitely bring him the results.

So he had saved this to learn last.

That made his anticipation even greater.

 

‘Just learning what’s called miscellaneous arts increased my martial arts knowledge. Then if it’s this…?’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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