Surviving as the Terminally Ill Young Lady of the North Sea Ice Palace - Chapter 21

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 21
“…….”
The children who actually had to do the dictation and coloring exercises said nothing at all.
“……Heh.”
Some of the children who had received the Antitoxin stifled their laughter with effort.
Well, it’s still good material, isn’t it?
“I see…… Yes, laying a solid foundation is indeed most important. I understand.”
“Ha, exactly. I spent a long time thinking about what to teach to truly aid your Inner Qi cultivation, and crafted these teaching materials. Once you memorize the Acupoints and their governing regions, you’ll be able to control your Qi far more skillfully.”
The student who’d asked the question took the stack of papers somewhat sheepishly, gathered up brush and pigments, and headed to the adjacent classroom.
“Don’t worry—I prepared plenty.”
The students who would eventually study the Tianwu Academy’s Inner Qi meditation techniques as well.
Since the effects of Scattered Qi Poison would still linger if they started practice now, they couldn’t do any practical work.
After memorizing the Incantations, they could do the dictation and coloring exercises together, as Heo Kong explained.
“Shall we head to the Training Hall?”
“Huh? I’m going to do this.”
He’d told the students who wouldn’t attend this particular lesson to move to a different spot.
Maeng Ryeong Ji got up, saying he’d go to the Training Hall to practice Qi Circulation.
But I had never intended to do any such thing.
If I continued training in the Ice Technique and my Extreme Yin Qi expanded, I worried the Severed Meridian Syndrome would worsen—and besides, I’d already planned to learn other martial arts.
Now that Heo Kong was calling it such a transcendent divine art, I thought it all worked out even better.
“Are you a disciple of the Northern Sea Ice Palace?”
Heo Kong, who had recognized my origin at a glance, joined the conversation.
“Yes, that is correct.”
As I nodded, he frowned slightly, as if troubled.
“I said the heterodox sensation was minimal, but I’ve never actually tested the clash with Extreme Yin Qi. The Palace Master hasn’t revealed her martial techniques, and something so extreme is likely rooted differently from orthodox Central Plains martial arts—there’s a high chance they won’t mix at all.”
Hmm, our master didn’t get shaken down by the academy head?
From what he was saying, it seemed even clans like the Namgung Clan had all been unable to resist the academy head’s coercion—which was surprising.
Still, since we didn’t pay a donation either, that’s why I’m at the Inbon Gwan.
“I believe it should be fine. Even in the Northern Sea, I deliberately sought out and learned martial arts other than the Ice Technique.”
I was grateful for Heo Kong’s concern, but I was confident there would be no problem.
Of course, maintaining Inner Qi as Pure Yin Qi would be more advantageous for reaching the heights of the Ice White Divine Technique.
But my goal wasn’t to become the greatest martial artist under heaven—it was simply to survive.
To control my Qi without triggering the Severed Meridian Syndrome, I had already dabbled in various martial arts.
If it were something as extremely opposite as the Heat Yang Technique, even I couldn’t guarantee there’d be no clash.
But with ordinary Central Plains martial arts—especially those on the lower end of heterodoxy—I wasn’t particularly worried.
“Hmm…… The systems are truly quite different from the Northern Sea, so the Acupoints have likely already opened along different pathways and won’t be easy to shift. But if you have the resolve, that’s good.”
Heo Kong said he wouldn’t stop me if I insisted I was fine, his eyes shining with curiosity.
It seemed he wanted to conduct some kind of experiment on this occasion.
“Students heading to the Training Hall, follow along! Actually, all the other students come too!”
After approving my participation in the class, he led the children to the Training Hall at the front.
This place, Taeul Gwan, was originally built as a pavilion dedicated to Inner Qi cultivation.
Instead of having a martial arts arena, it had an astonishing hundred narrow training chambers.
“Once you memorize the Incantations of Zheng Qi Gong and learn the essentials of Qi Foundation Building, you can use these rooms. If you want to practice Qi Circulation outside class hours, you’re welcome to come anytime—don’t crawl into some cave-like place for no reason, come here instead.”
The name was Training Hall, but it wasn’t an actual cave.
It was simply an ordinary room with excellent locks.
When I was at the Northern Sea, I’d deliberately been careful not to increase my Inner Qi, but once I learned the new meditation technique, I’d probably come here often to practice Qi Circulation.
After sending out all those who were leaving,
slightly fewer than half the students returned to the original lecture hall.
“You already know the very basic concepts of what Inner Qi is…… you’ve heard it in the Fundamental Martial Theory class as well.”
Only then did Heo Kong begin his proper lecture.
“The Tianwu Academy’s Inner Qi meditation techniques begin with Zheng Qi Gong, progress through Chun Qing Qi Gong, and finally lead to the Tianwu Divine Technique. You establish a correct foundation, refine your Qi to utmost clarity, and ultimately touch the principles of heaven.”
Rather than being laden with complex and varied commentary like a thousand-year-old martial art,
he proudly explained that it contained only the absolutely necessary Incantations and was designed to be easy to understand.
During the basic Inner Qi class that students must take over one semester, some will master Zheng Qi Gong and advance to Chun Qing Qi Gong.
Others will spend a long time building the foundations of Zheng Qi Gong.
But the exam would be set at a level where passing required only reaching the minimum Qi Foundation Building state and being able to circulate it,
so there was no need to compare yourselves with others or worry—take your time and build your Inner Qi while looking toward the future, he added.
“Yes……!”
The Inbon Gwan students, who had inevitably compared themselves with children from Tianming Gwan or Jijing Gwan, nodded earnestly.
“The foundational course ends after one semester, but if you take my elective courses each subsequent semester and follow along, I’ll teach you all the way to the final Incantations of the Tianwu Divine Technique. You needn’t worry about your Inner Qi meditation technique. I’m happy to delay your graduation until you feel you’ve gained sufficient enlightenment.”
There seemed to be nothing wrong with having ambitions.
I could maintain my meals by continuing service duty and preserving my merit points.
Even accounting for that, the opportunity to ask questions freely of the elders of Wudang was extraordinarily rare.
“Empty heart, level mind, Qi sinks to the Dantian….”
Heo Kong interpreted each incantation one by one, and even taught me the specific techniques of Qi Circulation.
“Close your eyes and place the tip of your tongue lightly against the roof of your mouth. There’s a reason I tell you to do this, so follow my instructions precisely. There is what we call the Magpie Bridge—it connects the Du Meridian, which ends at the upper lip, with the Ren Meridian, which extends to the lower lip, using your tongue as a bridge. Unless you’ve somehow missed it, any student who doesn’t know where the Ren-Du Meridian Pair attaches will take a written test the moment this lesson ends.”
When I was learning Inner Qi in the Northern Sea, I’d never heard of anything like the Magpie Bridge.
I could memorize the acupoint sequence of the Ren and Du meridians, but I’d never once considered where they were severed.
I followed his instructions and transcribed everything Heo Kong said.
He’d already said Orthodox Martial Technique would be difficult to master.
I intended to review everything the moment this lesson ended.
“As you inhale, the clear Qi of heaven and earth seeps through the Baihui Acupoint and settles in the Dantian. As you exhale, it rushes up through the Huiyin and along the Du Meridian. The true Qi remains in the Dantian, but you must expel the turbid Qi. Even if you lack sensation now, continue to visualize the path.”
Zheng Qi Gong seemed to be a method of Inner Cultivation designed to circulate Qi through the Ren-Du Meridian Pair in the most stable manner, and ultimately complete the Micro Heavenly Circulation by opening this passage, establishing a solid foundation.
‘It’s really so different from the Ice White Divine Technique.’
A method of Inner Cultivation, simply put, is a manual for Qi Foundation Building—how to accumulate Qi—and Qi Circulation—how to move Qi.
Since each sect must gather Inner Qi suited to their martial arts, differences emerge in the methods themselves.
Of course, martial arts of the same lineage share commonalities.
From what I understood, beginning Qi Foundation Building slowly through the Ren-Du Meridian Pair, the central trunk of the body, in accordance with the natural order was the most orthodox approach for righteous martial arts.
‘The Ice Technique opens the Kidney Meridian of Foot Greater Yin to its extreme, using the Ren Meridian, the Yin Qiao Meridian, and the Yin Wei Meridian as primary pathways….’
I was beginning to understand why Heo Kong had worried about mixing Ice Technique with this, and why he’d said it would be difficult.
The Ice White Divine Technique does not accept the Qi of heaven and earth through the Ren-Du Meridian Pair.
It channels Qi exclusively through the Yin meridians.
Since it was such a specialized technique that it suppresses even the Du Meridian, through which Yang Qi flows, with cold Qi.
If Qi were to flow incorrectly into a pathway I’d blocked while learning Zheng Qi Gong, something could easily go wrong.
“Now then, try it. Even if your Qi doesn’t move immediately, you must focus on your breathing.”
After studying the incantation a little, Heo Kong had me practice immediately.
I sat in a cross-legged position and closed my eyes as he instructed, placing the tip of my tongue against the roof of my mouth.
And unlike before, when I had drawn Water Qi up from the Yongquan Acupoint.
I concentrated my Qi at the Baihui Acupoint.
‘…….’
The Qi of heaven and earth gathered at the Baihui.
It descended along the Ren Meridian.
And settled in the Dantian.
‘……Did it work?’
Surviving as the Terminal Young Lady of the Northern Sea Ice Palace (Serialization)
Author │ Sahyang Noru
Publisher │ Kim Ju-hyung
Published by │ J Plus Media Co., Ltd.
Marketing │ Han Jae-hyuk
Address │ 401, 11 Digitallo 33-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul (Guro-dong, Ace Techno Tower 8th)
Email │ [email protected]
Website │ www.jayplemedia.com
ⓒ Sahyang Noru 2026
※ This work is published by J Plus Media Co., Ltd. under contract with the copyright holder, and no part of the content may be used in any form or by any means without permission from the company and author.
Violation of this may result in criminal and civil legal liability.

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