Chapter 23
Zhuque Corps (2)
He carefully guided his internal energy toward the Baihui acupoint.
Sending energy to the Baihui was something he always did during Qi circulation practice. By default, energy travels along the Du meridian to the Baihui and then returns through the Ren meridian to the origin in the dantian—this is the flow of the Small Heavenly Circulation.
But what Namgung Hyuk was attempting now was different: he was trying to expel his energy outside his crown through the Baihui.
“Ugh!”
As pressure built in his head, a severe headache hit.
Despite the intense strain, Namgung Hyuk forced his internal energy to pry open the closed acupoint.
Blood began trickling from his eyes, ears, and nose—a warning of danger.
Yet, simultaneously, the Baihui, though only slightly, began to open.
Crackle!
Through this gap, the energy of the Heavenly Thunder surged out—not as static electricity but like a bolt of lightning, spreading across the area.
Boom!
Lightning struck around him. If this had been a bedroom, the entire Zhuque Corps building would have been scorched.
Flash!
Namgung Hyuk’s eyes snapped open. At that moment, his irises glimmered faintly gold.
[Achievement in Heavenly Thunder Qi has risen to level 3.]
Finally, a breakthrough. But that wasn’t all. Unexpectedly, all the Ren, Du, and Yang meridians were activated, forming the Gate of Life and Death (Shengsi Xuanguan).
“Even without circulating my internal energy, it’s naturally flowing along my Ren, Du, and Yang meridians.”
The effects were instantly clear via system messages:
[Awakened practitioner’s internal energy recovery increased by 30%.
Additionally, internal energy retention can now be maintained at 0.5x during daily activity.]
By forming the Gate of Life and Death, he could recover internal energy and accumulate Qi without separate circulation practice.
“Didn’t expect to get this far… seems like a lucky break.”
Namgung Hyuk wiped the blood from his face with his sleeve and checked his body. Fortunately, there were no severe aftereffects.
‘Good thing I distributed my stats beforehand.’
His body was strong enough, and his meridians had withstood the strain. Otherwise, he might have fallen into a demonic possession state.
“Even reckless attempts can be worth trying once, huh.”
He smirked and gathered the energy of Heavenly Thunder in his right hand.
Crackle!
Bright yellow electricity writhed between his fingers.
“Doesn’t even feel ticklish… maybe because it’s my own energy.”
He clenched his fist, gathering the electricity, then thrust his hand forward like a martial technique.
Bang!
A thick stream of electricity struck the floor, blackening the area.
“Consumes a lot of internal energy, but the power is decent.”
Moreover, combining Heavenly Thunder energy with other martial arts, such as the Ten Divine Swords technique, would create tremendous destructive force.
Namgung Hyuk trained relentlessly with the Heavenly Thunder until sunrise, mastering its control.
The next morning, he left his room to start daily activities as a Zhuque Corps member. After breakfast, he wandered inside to get a sense of the corps’ atmosphere.
It seemed the Zhuque Corps didn’t have fixed training sessions; members trained autonomously.
Thus, in the morning, everyone trained in their own way, while by afternoon, they might gamble or drink, just like the previous day.
‘Got a feel for the place.’
Namgung Hyuk then sought a suitable opponent.
“Senior, may I spar with you?”
The untested Zhuque members were perfect experience for him. Hard to refuse a junior’s request.
“Sure!”
They agreed readily. Namgung Hyuk, avoiding excessive attention, used only half his internal energy and relied solely on Namgung family martial arts for the spar.
Wham! Thud!
“Good match.”
He swept his opponents in rapid succession. Each day, he challenged several members.
‘So the skill I showed on the first day wasn’t everything.’
The defeated Zhuque members marveled at his strength. Occasionally, with limitations, he might draw or narrowly lose—but only motivating him to train harder for the next match.
As a result, his mastery of Namgung family techniques, including the Changchong Muai Sword Method, improved overall. Daily training with Heavenly Thunder continued without fail.
‘Only a few left.’
Within a week, he had defeated all ordinary Zhuque members. His gaze now turned higher.
“Leader.”
“Oh, Namgung Hyuk, right?”
He found Gi Woo-sung, a leader just a few years older than him and head of his group within the Zhuque Corps.
“If it’s not too much trouble, would you spar with me?”
“Ha! Eyeing my spot already?”
“Not at all.”
“Ha! Just kidding. I happen to have free time, so I accept.”
Gi Woo-sung prepared his saber and entered the training area. Namgung Hyuk thought: ‘He’s already at his peak… facing the next stage beyond that.’
Even with his recent improvements from Heavenly Thunder and reaching an intermediate mastery, he wouldn’t easily win. Fighting with limitations made it even harder.
‘Still worth the challenge.’
He was well-known for his Dao techniques; facing them was valuable experience, even without victory.
“Let’s begin.”
“Understood.”
Namgung Hyuk drew his sword, conscious of the crowd. Gi Woo-sung casually wielded his saber.
‘Let’s test the waters first.’
Namgung Hyuk moved swiftly, executing the Changchong Muai Sword Method.
Clang! Clang!
His strikes were blocked repeatedly.
‘Defense is solid. Then!’
Switching to the Thirteen Sword Thunders technique, he swung his sword. Despite the sudden change, Gi Woo-sung’s defense held.
“Your sword skills are remarkable, the transitions between techniques are exquisite.”
“…I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Now, as a leader, I must respond.”
Gi Woo-sung struck hard, pushing Namgung Hyuk back. Despite bracing, he was forced several steps back.
“Take this.”
Gi Woo-sung’s saber emitted a white aura like fire along its path.
“Haah!”
Namgung Hyuk countered with his Thirteen Sword Thunders, tearing the aura apart.
But the dispersed energy soon reformed and struck him.
“Ugh!”
He flew backward, hitting the ground. Gi Woo-sung approached and extended his hand.
“You okay?”
“…Yes.”
Namgung Hyuk realized Gi Woo-sung had not used full force.
“What is the name of that technique?”
Gi Woo-sung explained: “It’s called the Heavenly Fire Saber Technique. Passed down from a secretive old sect.”
Namgung Hyuk noted that the sect remained hidden, its identity unknown to even other Zhuque members.
“Thank you for sparring.”
“No problem. Next time, give more effort.”
It was clear: tricking a higher-level master was not easy. Stealing the technique or defeating him would be far from simple.
That night, Namgung Hyuk reviewed the sparring session, thinking about the next match.
‘Other leaders are hard to even meet.’
Two were on long missions; the remaining one was rarely seen. Namgung Hyuk became curious.
“Want to know who the top leader is?”
“Yes.”
Ok Tae-hyung, always dressed in expensive silks, seemed uncomfortable with the question. Still, Namgung Hyuk handed him a small pouch of coins, knowing Tae-hyung struggled to live on the corps salary alone.
“Top leader? You might see him at the gambling hall.”
“Gambling hall?”
“He’s obsessed with gambling.”
Curious, Namgung Hyuk followed Tae-hyung to the gambling hall.
Late at night, the Infinite Street was lively and luxurious, especially the district with the gaming houses.
“While we’re here, how about a drink? The alcohol and women at Okhwa House are the best even in Infinite Street.”
Namgung Hyuk ignored the temptation.
“First, we find the top leader.”
With that, Tae-hyung led him to the gambling hall.
