Chapter 32: Fourth Stage: Amplification (2)

-The Fourth Stage: Amplification is, in fact, a stage that borrows the time contained within a ten-thousand-year-old spiritual medicine. This requires an understanding of the Three Flowers Realm and the State of Harmony.

As I've said many times, achieving the Fourth Stage: Amplification meant stepping into the State of Harmony.

In other words, it was called the Three Flowers Realm.

Three Flowers Realm.

This was a realm named after the miraculous changes that occur in a martial artist when their Essence, Qi, and Spirit are united.

When a martial artist who had achieved the unity of Essence, Qi, and Spirit performed Qi circulation, three flower buds would bloom above their head; thus, the Three Flowers Realm was not an abstract concept but a tangible reality.

The important point here was that the unity of Essence, Qi, and Spirit must be achieved.

For those who delve into Martial Arts and cultivate the Way, a natural question follows.

The question of ‘What is unity?’

It was said there were foolish people who thought that a slothful Essence, a feeble Qi, and a wretched Spirit were also a form of unity.

They were called Ascetics in the distant past, and they walked a path opposite to that of martial artists and practitioners.

They extremely restricted their food intake and sleep, pushing their bodies to the brink of starvation.

When food intake was restricted, muscles and bones diminished, and the body weakened.

When sleep was restricted, the mind and body also became exhausted.

On top of that, they did not engage in any physical training, thus perfecting a slothful Essence.

Since Qi was closely related to Essence, the original essence Qi was depleted due to the extremely weakened Essence, so a feeble Qi could also be easily achieved.

What would become of a person whose body was broken and whose energy was feeble?

The Ascetics' Spirit eroded and broke down over time.

In the Ascetics' own words, they had achieved a wretched Spirit.

Theoretically, if one achieved a slothful Essence, the unity of Essence, Qi, and Spirit would naturally follow, so it was no coincidence that numerous Ascetics were born.

By doing nothing, they would reach the supreme realm of the Three Flowers Realm; this could be called the paradox of passive progress.

At a glance, it might seem similar to the Daoist concept of Wu Wei, but it was correct to say that they ultimately lacked a complete understanding of Essence, Qi, and Spirit.

Because they lacked an understanding of the absolute amount of Essence, Qi, and Spirit required for a human to exist as a human, their theoretically perfect unity failed miserably.

At least, as far as I knew, none of the Ascetics had managed to bloom three flower buds above their heads, so it was truly a disastrous result.

Humans are beings that change and develop through trial and error.

Through the case of the Ascetics, martial artists realized the absolute amount, the minimum requirement, of Essence, Qi, and Spirit needed to reach the Three Flowers Realm.

What conditions must be met to reach the Three Flowers Realm?

Essence must achieve Heart as Action.

One must be able to act as one’s heart desires, a state that could only be reached through constant physical training.

Typically, in the Jianghu Murim, the Peak Realm was considered the beginning of Heart as Action.

Qi was said to require achieving a Gapja.

The minimum condition for the internal energy circulating in the body to be materialized in the physical world was a Gapja, so it was correct to view a Three Flowers Realm without a Gapja of Qi as impossible.

Typically, a Gapja of internal energy was also the beginning of the Peak Realm.

Thousands of years had passed since martial arts were created, improved, and developed.

A realm that once required a Gapja of years to reach could now be attained by a chosen few in their early twenties.

Established forms and principles allowed young martial artists to achieve Heart as Action.

The help of marvelous mind cultivation arts and spiritual medicines granted young martial artists a Gapja of internal energy.

Then, in the current Murim, where did the difference between the Peak Realm and the State of Harmony come from?

That's right.

The answer lay in the Spirit.

To reach the Three Flowers Realm, the Spirit must achieve communion with all things in heaven and earth.

It was a realm described as having one's Spirit blossomed or awakening one's spirituality.

Masters of the Peak Realm were permitted to use Sword Qi.

Sword Qi was the materialization and manifestation of the internal energy stored within one's body into the world.

Then what was the Sword Flux used by masters of the State of Harmony?

The ‘Gang’ in Sword Flux meant a constellation of stars, signifying that it was the materialization of the world's power drawn to oneself through communion with all things in heaven and earth.

Ultimately, only by blossoming the Spirit and communicating with all things in heaven and earth could one reach the Three Flowers Realm and be able to use Sword Flux, the proof of the State of Harmony.

Typically, it was said that time and enlightenment were necessary to blossom the Spirit.

Of course, a very small number of chosen ones by the heavens could transcend time and awaken their spirituality, but this was not the realm of humans.

It was, literally, the choice of the fickle heavens.

Just as humans had failed to create natural spiritual medicines, it meant it was a realm of heaven's blessings.

This was why, even though the number of martial artists reaching the Peak in their early twenties had increased so much, most of them only reached the Three Flowers Realm after their forties.

Wasn't time a realm beyond human control?

But there was one person who had succeeded in awakening spirituality through human effort.

He was the Healing Sage.

-This old master has combined the spirituality of a ten-thousand-year-old spiritual medicine with the Healing Sage’s Mind Cultivation Art to dramatically shorten that time.

Typically, only a select few of the martial artists who reach the Peak in their early twenties achieve the Three Flowers Realm around their forties.

This meant that it took a minimum of twenty years for the Spirit to catch up with the rapidly developed Essence and Qi and achieve unity.

-Nevertheless, this cannot be called a complete success.

-This old master succeeded in dramatically reducing the minimum of twenty years, but failed in completely transcending time to awaken spirituality.

The Healing Sage was a heaven-blessed human born with an awakened spirituality.

Perhaps it was also fate that he could not achieve complete success.

-To achieve the Fourth Stage: Amplification, even with the use of a ten-thousand-year-old spiritual medicine and the Healing Sage’s Mind Cultivation Art, it will require one month's time.

Nevertheless, he shortened a minimum of twenty years to one month.

How could this not be considered a success?

-However, there is something you must know. Upon entering the Fourth Stage, you will fall into a comatose state for one month. Therefore, I advise you to enter the Fourth Stage only after making thorough preparations.

-Do not complain. I did my best just by melting down the time contained in a ten-thousand-year-old spiritual medicine into a month. The greatness of the Healing Sage’s Mind Cultivation Art will not be diminished.

The ‘different mechanism’ he mentioned meant this.

Unlike the stages up to the Third Stage, which had no side effects, reaching the Fourth Stage required falling into a comatose state for a month.

“A comatose state.”

Naturally, a comatose state was dangerous.

Wasn't it the custom of the Murim to perform even Qi circulation, which involved delving into one's inner self, in a place where complete safety was guaranteed, or at the very least, with minimal protection, even if unavoidable?

To fall into a comatose state for a long period of one month required even more preparation.

It meant I needed someone I could completely trust to protect and take care of me during that period.

‘Someone I can trust…….’

I thought about who would be suitable.

Unfortunately, Lee Chun-baek was not an option.

His status was that of a wanderer, and it would not be right to ask him, who had no fixed residence, to take care of me for a long period of one month.

Yeo-wol and Ma Sok of the Rogues’ Guild were also not options.

Although I had already built a friendship and trust with them, entrusting my entire well-being to them was a different matter.

There was also the fact that since I was planning to become the Murim Alliance Lord, I had to be cautious in my relationship with them.

Returning to the main clan would be the most effective solution, but I was reluctant to do that either.

The Dancheon Clan was an object of conquest for me, and I did not want to show a weakness like being in a comatose state for a month.

After excluding many options, one person remained.

Someone who could protect me while I reached the Fourth Stage.

That choice was Yang Su-rin.

‘Yang Su-rin.’

I considered it fortunate that I still had an option left.

* * *

Yang Su-rin stared at the guest who had visited after a long time.

A man whose looks were not much inferior to her own, who was called one of the Five Flowers of Anhui.

“It's been a while.”

It was Dancheon Myeong.

‘I don't like it.’

She was sure his looks were just passable when they first met, but she didn't know when he had become so handsomely imposing.

‘Are the matchmakers’ letters still pouring in?’

Yang Su-rin didn't like how good-looking he had become.

However, since she had her pride, she didn't bother asking about the letters.

Wasn't she also someone who received letters from all over the Central Plains, not lacking in any way?

“So, what business brings the precious second son of the Dancheon Clan all the way to the Yang Clan?”

She asked coyly.

It was a way to hide her own good mood from the fact that Dancheon Myeong had come to see her first.

Seeing Dancheon Myeong smiling faintly at her behavior, her mood soured again.

From the beginning, that person had always acted as if he could see right through her.

He opened his mouth.

“Please hide me for a while.”

Flinch.

Yang Su-rin was startled by the content of his words.

But wasn't she a seasoned merchant?

She quickly hid her expression and continued speaking.

With a relaxed smile, that is.

“What is it? Did you commit a crime or something?”

“No, that's not it.”

That was a relief.

Although they had no relationship now, weren't they once in talks for an engagement?

She would have been worried if he had gotten into trouble.

Just a little bit.

At that moment, a slightly mischievous expression formed on that fellow Dancheon Myeong's face.

It was an expression she had never seen on that stone-like man before.

“Would you hide me even if I had committed a crime?”

Her expression faltered for a moment at the unexpected question, but she quickly composed herself again.

As she had said many times, wasn't she a seasoned merchant?

“I'd have to weigh the severity of the crime and the gains and losses. If it's profitable to hide you, I'll hide you, and if not, well, I can't help it?”

She evaluated her own answer as very eloquent.

It was the wise conduct of a skilled merchant.

After a ‘haha’ laugh, he explained the situation.

After listening to the explanation, she understood the general situation.

In summary, he needed someone's help, and the person who came to his mind was her.

“For a whole month?”

She herself didn't know why the question came out that way.

“I ask for your favor.”

Dancheon Myeong bowed his head to her.

“Well, I can help you with that. It's not a very difficult task for me.”

He had come to her seeking help.

At that fact, Yang Su-rin didn't feel too bad.

“Well, you have helped me before, after all.”

So she thought she had added these words unnecessarily.

* * *

“Thank you.”

As expected, things went according to plan.

Seeing her reaction, I was also convinced that she would not cause me any harm.

“Is the plan proceeding well?”

This was, in fact, the most important part of my relationship with her.

The ten thousand nyang I lent was not important; what was important was that she would take control of the Yang Clan and grow into a powerful figure who would be helpful to me in the future.

Yang Su-rin was lost in thought for a moment.

Her expression seemed more like she was calculating something rather than being worried or troubled.

“You said one month, right?”

“That's right.”

After my answer, a confident smile appeared on her face.

“It will be around the time you come out.”

“What will be?”

“The time when I will have become the Young Branch Lord of the Yang Clan.”

“I see.”

Yang Su-rin had once come to me and asked me to wait for two years.

Looking back, now was the time when the two years she mentioned were approaching.

And she was finally scheduled to become the Young Branch Lord of the Yang Clan.

I would praise her as a true merchant who knew the value of keeping one's word and trust.

“That's great. Congratulations.”

A playful look appeared on Yang Su-rin's face.

It was an expression I had never seen on her throughout my past life.

In my past life, I had not won her heart, and in this life, I had only maintained a business relationship with her and not kept her close.

Anyway, she, who had shown me an unfamiliar expression, said this.

“It's a good thing, but it must be sad news for you.”

“……?”

Not understanding what she meant, I looked at her with wide eyes.

“Because if I become the Young Branch Lord, I will no longer be getting married.”

Becoming the Young Branch Lord meant taking responsibility for the next generation of the clan.

She would now be in a position to take a husband, not to get married off.

I wasn't a fool, so I understood the hidden meaning in her words, but I didn't bother to give an answer.

Perhaps because my reaction was not interesting, she added another word.

“Well, if you say you'll marry into the Yang Clan, I might consider it.”

A chuckle escaped me at her audacity.

“I see. That's a shame.”

That would never happen.

Anyway, it was one month.

After one month, I would enter the Fourth Stage and reach the State of Harmony.

And the seeds I had sown would sprout, and Yang Su-rin would become the Young Branch Lord of the Yang Clan.

It was a double celebration.