Chapter 59: Black Shadow’s Secret Exploration (4)

After receiving Bloodscent Fiend’s report, Ma Ungyeol remained unexpectedly calm.

Only his cold, calculating eyes wavered slightly… they did not distort the face hidden beneath the black armor.

“Where is it?”

Ma Ungyeol’s voice cut through the night air.

“Sambong Valley, Hoaapji.”

“How many Living Spirits were there?”

“We had stored over a hundred.”

“And all of them are gone?”

“Yes.”

Bloodscent Fiend, kneeling before him, bowed his head deeply.

The fingertips revealed beneath his black hood trembled faintly. Beads of sweat slid down his forehead, falling from his chin. A moment of life and death… his survival depended on a mere nod from Ma Ungyeol.

“This is truly the first time such a thing has happened. The Living Spirits near the northern forest of the ruins… disappeared without leaving a single trace.”

Bloodscent Fiend’s voice cracked, hoarse.

The screams of the Living Spirits at the moment of their annihilation still echoed in his ears. The image of the souls swept away by the blue light, fading into nothingness, remained vividly imprinted in his mind.

But more important than that was what Ma Ungyeol thought. For in all his cruelty, he had never spared anyone who lost even a single Living Spirit.

“Hmph!”

Ma Ungyeol’s lips pressed tightly together.

His gaze lifted toward the pitch-black sky. The moonlight seeping through the clouds cast a cold gleam in his eyes.

What he was thinking was impossible to guess. His expression was too frigid.

Slowly, he turned his body to face his subordinates.

Thirty warriors of the Heavenly Sound Cult stood in a semicircle around him.

Clank! Clank!

Their armor clashed, ringing with cold metallic sounds.

Though their faces were hidden behind black masks, the tense breaths they exhaled thickened the air.

“Of all places… right in the heart of enemy territory….”

Ma Ungyeol’s brows furrowed deeply.

His right hand clenched tightly around his sword hilt. The veins bulged between his fingers.

“If we clash with the Murim Alliance’s Blue Blood Unit, the Taoist sects will intervene at once. Wudang Sect, Mount Hua Sect. Which will move first?”

“The Wudang Sect branch is only fifteen li away. Mount Hua is nearly thirty li. Twice the distance. Wudang will intervene first.”

One subordinate stepped forward to answer.

The ‘Blood (血)’ character engraved on his shoulder glowed crimson under the moonlight.

“How long until intervention?”

“When the Blue Blood Unit moves, it is their custom to prepare for deployment at once. They are already ready to act… Before we cross the northern wall, it is certain we will encounter them.”

“Hmm!”

A low groan rumbled from Ma Ungyeol.

His sword slid half an inch from its sheath before sliding back in. For an instant, a sharp flash of blue sword qi gleamed.

Bloodscent Fiend instinctively hunched his neck.

“This is troublesome. To capture Gugwi, we must crush the Blue Blood Unit. But to crush the Blue Blood Unit means we cannot avoid clashing with Wudang Sect… Standing idle is not an option either… troublesome. Very.”

Click!

Ma Ungyeol’s sword moved again.

His eyes turned toward Bloodscent Fiend. The latter’s shoulders shrank.

“You, split into two groups.”

He pointed to the warriors on the left.

“You, watch the movements of the Murim Alliance and the Cold Wolf Sect. Do not miss a single step.”

“Yes!”

The ironclad warrior on the left saluted in response.

“The rest of you focus on pursuing Gugwi. We cannot lose the Spirit Flow Core. If the chance comes… strike immediately. Until the order is given, do not act rashly—only watch. If you wait, the opportunity will surely come.”

“Yes!”

The warriors on the right all bowed deeply.

Bloodscent Fiend cautiously spoke, his voice trembling enough to be heard even outwardly.

“My Lord, I…”

“Find a quiet, secluded village and perform Soul Transformation. You will need Living Spirits to track Gugwi. But erase every trace. Wipe out all evidence of Soul Transformation.”

Ma Ungyeol’s eyes gleamed coldly. His gaze pierced Bloodscent Fiend’s soul.

“Leave no survivor, not even a drop of blood. If we are discovered, I will take your life.”

“Yes, understood.”

Bloodscent Fiend wiped his sweat and nodded. A chill ran down his spine.

Gugwi leaned against the cave wall, gasping heavily.

The wounds inflicted by the Blue Blood Unit Captain’s Black Flame Shatter and the combined attacks of its members crushed his entire body.

His chest ached as if it had collapsed from within.

The sonic waves of Black Flame Shatter had struck his dantian, leaving internal injuries. Each breath sent sharp stabs of pain deep into his lungs. He could only manage shallow breaths—any attempt to inhale deeply felt like a blade slicing near his dantian.

“Khht…”

Gugwi swallowed his groan, gritting his teeth.

The sword wound stretching from his left shoulder to his right armpit was the worst. A Blue Blood Unit warrior’s blade had slashed him diagonally, leaving a wound over one ja in length, deep enough to reach the bone.

Thanks to Yeon Sohye’s Golden Healing Medicine and Blood-Staunching Herb, the bleeding had barely stopped, but the flesh around the wound had torn apart, exposing pale tissue. The dried blood had formed a dark scab, yet the slightest movement threatened to tear it open again.

There was also a deep wound on his back. He had been struck by a thrown dagger during his escape. The slash ran diagonally from beneath his shoulder blade to his lower back, and still throbbed painfully. Each time he leaned against the wall, it felt as though the wound split open, sending cold sweat dripping down his face.

His waist too bore a deep injury, a slash from another Blue Blood Unit warrior. Every twist or turn pulled on his muscles, sparking waves of agony.

His body was in ruins.

Then, suddenly, a thought struck Gugwi.

Drip! Drip! Drip!

The steady drip of water from the cave walls echoed rhythmically. A cold breeze swept in from the entrance, stirring his hair.

‘Gatekeeper!’

His chest pounded.

The one who inspects souls crossing from the living world, and restrains those in the Realm of the Threshold from crossing over to the living world.

Such a role, regardless of title, was nothing less than a god controlling the boundary between this world and the Realm of the Threshold.

‘Standing on the line between the living world and the Realm of the Threshold… here, I am a god.’

Gugwi sat cross-legged.

The cold stone beneath him stole away his warmth. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Thoom!

He entered the Realm of the Threshold and struck the Spirit Flow Core.

The blue light beginning in his dantian coursed through his entire body, spreading across the Realm of the Threshold. Like an immense web, the light strands expanded outward, detecting countless souls.

Gugwi’s consciousness plunged deep into the Realm of the Threshold.

A world of endless gray mist spread before him, where countless clusters of light floated. Some shone brightly, while others flickered faintly. Lights that could not be called alive, yet could not be called dead either.

‘That’s right. It isn’t only martial artists here.’

It became certain, just as he had realized when Bloodscent Fiend released his Living Spirits. In the Realm of the Threshold, there were people of many professions wandering. The rough hands of a farmer, the shrewd gaze of a merchant, and… the warm aura of a physician.

Gugwi’s eyes turned toward a particular cluster of light.

Unlike the others, it glowed with a faint green hue. Though it seemed like a mere cluster of light, he could sense healing energy within it. Perhaps just an impression.

“Who are you?”

Gugwi asked the green light. The gray mist swirled with each of his steps.

The light slowly revealed a form.

It was that of a middle-aged man. His white beard reached down to his chest, and his gentle eyes gazed at Gugwi. A small medicine pouch hung from his hand.

“Namgung Hoyoung, the Physician of Clarity (淸虛醫).”

“Physician of Clarity? Never heard of it.”

A name and epithet he had never encountered. But the man was undoubtedly a physician. The right one to find.

Gugwi stepped closer to him.

The cold air of the Realm of the Threshold drifted between them.

“Namgung Hoyoung. Without herbs, is there a way to treat sword slashes and stabs?”

Namgung Hoyoung’s gaze scanned Gugwi’s body. His eyes paused at the wounds inflicted by the Blue Blood Unit Captain. Blood still seeped faintly from them.

“An acupuncture technique that regulates qi and blood into wave-like vibrations. Vibrating Acupuncture of Blood Points.”

Namgung Hoyoung nodded, raising his right hand. A transparent needle appeared between his fingers. It gleamed faintly, crystalline like ice—mystical in form.

It was a needle of the soul, visible only to Gugwi.

“Zusanli, Quchi, Hegu… stimulating these thirteen acupoints precisely will heal sword wounds.”

Wham!

Gugwi exited the Realm of the Threshold.

The cold cave air struck his face. From afar came the sound of Yeon Sohye practicing the Silver Spirit Technique. A silver mist veiled one side of the cave, glowing softly.

“Namgung Hoyoung.”

Gugwi quietly called the name.

The physician appeared faintly in the present world. His figure was translucent, moonlight passing through his body to cast a dim shadow on the cave wall. Gugwi performed Spirit Union with him.

The moment the Soul Name Command completed, something formed in Gugwi’s hand.

A transparent needle.

A cool yet warm energy pulsed at his fingertips.

Gugwi removed his upper garment. Blood still seeped from the sword wound on his shoulder.

Namgung Hoyoung’s hand sought the acupoints and began inserting needles.

“Ugh!”

Zusanli. The hollow on the outer calf.

As the needle pierced the skin, vibrations began to resonate from it. The wave spread from Zusanli, reverberating through his body. It was an icy vibration.

“Urgh!”

Another groan slipped from Gugwi.

Quchi. The outer end of the elbow. Once more, the cold vibrations spread throughout him, clashing and pulling against the waves rising from Zusanli.

Yet… strangely, as the needle entered, the bleeding from his shoulder wound stopped.

Click!

Hegu was pierced as well. Now three sources of vibration pulsed. A powerful resonance shook his internal organs. At the same time, the crushing pain across his body lessened noticeably.

“Haa!”

Gugwi exhaled heavily, letting his body sink. He leaned back against the cave wall, supported by the cold stone. The pain subsided, the bleeding ceased.

The tips of the needles were designed to generate subtle vibrations. Not mere stimulation, but waves that radiated through the body from each acupoint, amplifying the flow of qi and blood—like ripples spreading across a lake.

It was an acupuncture art extraordinary for treating wounds and internal injuries.

The dynamic waves accelerated circulation, dispersed inflammation, and hastened healing. Pain disappeared. Even deep sword wounds could recover with a single treatment.

For patients of chronic pain, it felt like a miracle.

It was called the Vibrating Divine Needle!

This technique received praise for its mirage-like effects. Yet, as with every great discovery, a fatal side effect emerged. That was qi and blood reflux.

The human body’s qi and blood had natural flows. But Vibrating Acupuncture of Blood Points artificially amplified them. In patients of weak constitution—the frail elderly, or children with unstable qi—the waves caused backlash, making qi reverse its flow.

The Physician of Clarity compared it to “waves striking a wall and returning.”

At first, he had not known of the side effects.

He treated a martial artist’s sword wound, which healed quickly. But seven days later, the man died suddenly from internal bleeding, wracked by full-body convulsions. Another patient’s legs were paralyzed.

Several such incidents occurred.

The chance of side effects: two in ten. But rumors spread swiftly—Vibrating Divine Needle became known as “the final needle that steals life.” And the Physician of Clarity was branded “a quack like no other in the world.”

Disciples left him. People cursed him.

Yet he continued to believe in his acupuncture until the end.

“My needle is perfect. It is only that the world cannot comprehend its depth.”

He regarded the side effects as karmic retribution of patients, but all attempts to refine his technique failed.

In the end, he died in solitude.

His resentment was so deep, he never crossed into the afterlife, wandering instead in the Realm of the Threshold.

“Namgung Hoyoung. You said the side effects come on the seventh day? Eight out of ten are fine, two unlucky ones suffer cerebral hemorrhage or paralysis. I’d better be lucky… only then can your grudge be eased.”

“My needle is perfect.”

“I know, I know. So let’s see. But damn… why do I feel so sleepy after just some needles?”

“When qi and blood are amplified, the muscles are driven to move. Stillness within motion. Though you do not move, your body has already labored as though running a thousand li… Rest well.”

“Twice a day, right? Go back. Tonight… we’ll see.”

Drowsiness overcame him, and Gugwi’s head sank.

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