A Near-Death Miracle - 1
The man attempted to rise, but overwhelming pain forced him back down with a groan. Faint voices reached his ears, and as he turned his head toward the sound, all he could sense was a dim presence. Gradually, the blurs before his eyes formed into clearer shapes as time passed.
"It looks like he's coming to. It's a miracle. Inform the master immediately."
"Yes."
"Here, drink this."
A man offered him a bitter herbal medicine. Seeing the gentle expression on the man's face, he drank the concoction being held to his lips and soon drifted back into sleep. For a while, all he did was take medicine and sleep. After about a month, he regained enough strength to meet people. A man came to see him then, a scholarly figure with a dignified appearance, a neatly trimmed beard, and luxurious clothes. The man smiled kindly as he spoke.
"Are you starting to come around?"
"..."
When he didn't respond, the man glanced at the doctor nearby and continued.
"Would you believe me if I told you I caught you while fishing? I dreamt of pulling up a giant carp, but to my surprise, it wasn't a carp but a merman instead. What's your name? Your name, man."
"My... name?"
The wounded man echoed the question, his face blank. The scholar sighed and exchanged a look with the doctor.
"Ah, so it's true that he doesn't remember. I came hoping it wasn't the case..."
"Don't be too disappointed, sir. You've cared for a mere wild man to this point; he will be grateful regardless."
"That's not it. Are you sure that sword was his?"
"Yes, the sword is oddly curved like a saber, and it's quite short, but it's undoubtedly a fine blade. Would you like to see it?"
"Please."
The doctor handed the sword to the scholar, who partially drew it from its scabbard.
"Indeed, a remarkable sword. But how did this man end up stabbing his own core with it?"
"I can't say for sure. There was also a dagger lodged in his heart, but thanks to the dagger staying in place, blood loss was minimal, and we managed to save him. Using acupuncture, we slowly got his heart beating again, and after carefully removing the dagger and applying medicinal herbs, he miraculously survived. His vitality is extraordinary."
"Do you think that dagger also belonged to him?"
"That's uncertain. We didn't find a sheath for it on him. However, we did find this jade token and this strange cloth with odd symbols."
The doctor handed the scholar the cloth, covered in peculiar markings.
"Where is this text from?"
"I'm not sure. My knowledge is limited..."
"It might be a clue that could help us, so I'll keep it. If this sword belongs to such a notable person, they must be well-known in the martial world. Have you heard of anyone like that? You mentioned that you were once active in the martial world as well."
"I'm not that great of a master. However, this man, though he looks very young, has yellow teeth. For someone actually young, their teeth wouldn't be this damaged. I suspect he might be one of those masters of eternal youth I've only heard about."
"There's no way he's that skilled."
"No, it's not impossible. The engraving of 'Ink Soul' on this sword, this dagger, the severe internal injuries that were strong enough to twist his organs, and despite my acupuncture skills, he was thought to be beyond saving due to the destruction of most of his meridians, yet he survived. His vitality and healing abilities are remarkable. It would be impossible unless he were a master who transcended human limits. On top of that, most of his wounds were caused by martial arts."
"Most of them?"
"Yes, except for the wounds he sustained from being washed ashore and hitting rocks, they were all caused by martial arts."
"From what you've seen, which sect do you think these martial arts belong to?"
"I can't be certain. Judging by the brute strength and ruthlessness, it feels like unorthodox martial arts, but even some orthodox sects have techniques this vicious, so it's hard to guess. Since the wounds weren't caused by weapons but by pure force, it's even more difficult to determine."
"How unfortunate. He seems to have had a rather handsome face, but now half of it is completely ruined..."
"Considering the injuries from hitting the rocks, it's fortunate that they're only this bad. Besides, several of his bones were broken, and they're only now starting to heal."
"If he's from the martial world, do you think he can recover his martial arts?"
"That's impossible. But if he regains his memory, he might be able to recall the techniques he's learned."
"Hmm... I hadn't thought of that. I have business to attend to, so I'll leave him in your care."
"Understood."
People called him a cripple. He had completely lost his memory and could barely speak. He limped on one leg, and even his left hand was attached somewhat awkwardly. The cripple worked at General Ok's estate, tending to horses. Ok was a rigid and upright man, so much so that if not for the influence of his father, General Ok Yeongjin, his unyielding nature might have led him to be decapitated by corrupt officials. Fortunately, he had remained focused on military affairs and avoided positions that required bribery or flattery.
Ok Cheongyeong had four children, two boys and two girls. The girls would often glance at the cripple with disdain. The eldest daughter was gentle and behaved as a lady of a noble household should, but the second daughter was more temperamental and enjoyed riding horses. When she was in a bad mood, she would take it out on the cripple, finding fault with the horses and using him as a way to blow off steam. The eldest son was training martial arts in a distant sect, so they rarely crossed paths. The youngest son, however, was a dignified child with a noble bearing. He liked to ride horses and often gave the cripple leftovers wrapped in a handkerchief as thanks for taking good care of his horse.
It had been about six months since the cripple had arrived at the household. His strength gradually improved, to the point where he could lift things that would normally require two grown men. Because of this, the servants often called on him for heavy lifting and would reward him with alcohol. He especially liked strong liquor, and if someone bought him a bottle of good alcohol, he would carry even the heaviest loads by himself without complaint. Naturally, this drew Ok Cheongyeong's attention, and one day he called for the servant in charge of the stables.
When the servant approached, bowing low, Ok Cheongyeong asked him, "That young man working in the stables is quite strong. Was he like that from the beginning?"
"No, sir. At first, he didn't even have the strength to catch a chicken. But after a day or two, oddly enough, that scrawny boy got stronger, and now he carries all the heavy things around the estate by himself."
"Really? That's strange. Does he do his work well?"
"He works diligently when it comes to the horses, but he refuses to touch anything else. And if he decides he doesn't want to do something, there's no convincing him otherwise. He loves strong liquor, so we trick him into working by offering alcohol."
"So, he's quite particular about what he likes and dislikes."
"Yes, sir. One day, we were very busy, but he was completely lost in thought, staring at a chrysanthemum. I was so angry, I kicked him in the rear. He said something about feeling warmth and tenderness whenever he looks at flowers."
"He must really like flowers."
"Other than that, he's fairly indifferent. He doesn't strongly like or dislike much, but he's incredibly stubborn. Once he decides he doesn't want to do something, there's no persuading him. So, from the beginning, we've always started with, 'Would you like some strong liquor in exchange for a favor?' Then, after he agrees, we give him the task. For the most part, he'll do whatever is asked that way."
"Send someone to the doctor's residence and tell him I want to see him. When he arrives, send the young man to me as well."
"Understood."
"You're dismissed."
"Yes, my lord."
When the doctor arrived, Ok Cheongyeong greeted him and explained, "There's something strange going on, so I called for you."
"Strange, you say?"
"Do you think it's possible for that young man to regain his martial arts?"
"Not even a one-in-a-million chance."
"But his strength keeps increasing. I thought it might be a sign that his inner energy is returning, so I called you. He'll be here shortly. Could you check his pulse?"
"Of course."
"Ah, here he comes. Come over here."
When the cripple approached, Ok Cheongyeong told him to extend his hand, and the doctor began checking his pulse. After a while, the doctor spoke.
"What a strange occurrence. His inner energy is returning."
"Then, when do you think he will recover?"
"Right now, there's a significant amount of inner energy flowing through his body. However, many of his meridians are still damaged, which is why he remains physically impaired. But curiously, quite a few of his meridians have cleared up, unlike before. It's an odd phenomenon."
"Is it not possible that over time, his blocked or destroyed meridians were cleared by his own inner energy?"
"I would say no. If that were the case, why would martial artists fear deviation so much? Yet, somehow, his meridians have cleared on their own. As unbelievable as it sounds, perhaps he did it himself."
With that, the doctor swiftly aimed a punch at the cripple's face. The punch was imbued with enough power that it could knock out an ox if it hit. The cripple barely avoided the punch by a hair's breadth and, in that same instant, threw a right punch toward the doctor's face. The doctor, caught off guard by the counterattack, let out a gasp of shock and deflected the blow with his left hand. Then, he began to engage the cripple in earnest with a series of martial techniques.
However, as the doctor launched into his martial techniques, the cripple could no longer keep up and tried to retreat, but his limp leg betrayed him, leaving him unable to escape. As a result, he was hit five times consecutively. The cripple fell to the ground, groaning in pain, rubbing the spots where he had been struck. Watching this, the doctor asked,
"How did you manage to dodge my first punch?"
"You... you're bad... Why did you hit me? I didn't do anything wrong..."
The cripple panted in frustration, clearly upset, while the doctor took a deep breath and spoke to Ok Cheongyeong.
"This is remarkable. Even with all his memories lost, his body instinctively reacts based on the training he accumulated. Moreover, his punches were filled with considerable inner energy. Every single movement of his carries energy. Now that I've observed him closely, I understand everything."
"Every movement? Are you saying that all his actions are martial techniques?"
"As unbelievable as it sounds, it's the truth. There's variation in the amount of energy, but every one of his movements carries inner energy. This is something unheard of."
"But still, for all his unconscious movements to carry inner energy... Are you suggesting he's reached the realm of profound mastery, where intent triggers true energy, and true energy guides the body's movement as the martial world describes?"
"That's one way to see it. But the only person who has reached such a level is Master Gu Hui, a revered pillar of the orthodox sects. If this man had truly reached that level, word would have spread far and wide across the martial world. Therefore, it's unlikely that he's a master of that caliber. But there's no doubt he had attained a level close to it."
"..."
Ok Cheongyeong fell into thought, and the doctor suddenly spoke again.
"I have an idea."
"What is it?"
"We could try teaching him martial arts. If he's learned the techniques before, his reactions might be different. Through that, we could potentially identify his sect."
"That's an excellent suggestion. But where would we find someone who knows such a wide variety of martial arts?"
"Perhaps you could ask the esteemed lord for assistance."
"My father is far too busy right now to grant my request. He still hasn't recovered half of the lost strength of the Imperial Black Wind Brigade... Oh! I could ask him to send some secret manuals. And maybe even a few masters from each sect to teach him. But in the meantime, before they arrive, couldn't you teach him something?"
"Yes, I can do that. I'll give it a try."
Thus, the martial arts training for the cripple began the very next day. However, what irritated the doctor was the fact that the cripple showed absolutely no interest in martial arts. He tried teaching him various sword techniques, palm techniques, claw techniques, fist techniques, and kick techniques, but it was impossible to teach someone who had no interest at all. So the doctor devised a new plan. He began teaching martial arts to his youngest son in front of the cripple, hoping to spark his curiosity.
The doctor's youngest son had always been kind to the cripple, earning quite a bit of his trust. The doctor thought that by teaching his son, the cripple might become curious. Sometimes, while the youngest son was being taught, the cripple would watch them train or look at the chrysanthemums nearby. Though the chrysanthemums had yet to bloom, and only the green leaves were lush without even a bud, the cripple loved chrysanthemums and spent a lot of time tending to them.
One day, as usual, the doctor was diligently teaching martial arts to his youngest son. Recently, the boy had begun to absorb the teachings fairly well, which was more enjoyable for the doctor than dealing with the uninterested cripple. He found great pleasure in teaching this affable child. At that moment, he was teaching him tonap, a breathing technique.
"Tonap refers to the method of slowly drawing breath into your lower abdomen, or dantian, and then exhaling it, during which various methods of circulating your energy throughout the body exist."
"What is 'circulating energy through the body'?"
"Circulating energy, or Iljuchen, is when you move energy in a complete circuit through your entire body, following a designated path of meridians. Each sect has a slightly different method for circulating energy, and even the exact points where you inhale or exhale are determined precisely. If you get even one small thing wrong, it could lead to disastrous consequences."
"But why do you have to be so precise about how you divide your breath?"
"That's because when you draw in the energy of nature through your breath—"
As soon as the cripple heard the phrase "energy of nature," something seemed to stir within him. He clutched his head, clearly distressed. He was tormented by nightly nightmares and had come to dread sleep. The sensation reminded him of the nightmares, causing him to tremble and hide in a corner. The content of his nightmares was always more or less the same. However, what frustrated him the most was that, despite the terror, he could never remember the details of the dreams after waking.