Chapter 66

## Chapter 66. A Night of Deepening Misunderstandings

'Herb-Infused Constitution.'

I mentally labeled the old man Gong's constitution with this term.

Inside Gong's body, an enormous amount of turbid energy had accumulated, and to suppress it, an equivalent amount of medicinal energy from elixirs was needed to maintain balance.

However, due to the special technique of the Life and Death Divine Doctor, the turbid energy and medicinal energy had coexisted in Gong's body for a long time, eventually becoming inseparable.

That was why when I extracted the turbid energy from Gong's body using the Heaven-Defying Divine Art, the medicinal energy came along with it.

'For ordinary martial artists, this is just poison... but...'

For me, who had mastered the Heaven-Defying Divine Art, it was as good as a thousand-year-old elixir.

What was the reason I took on private tutoring to earn money?

It was to buy the elixirs needed to enhance my mastery of the Heaven-Defying Divine Art.

But now, the elixir had come to me on its own.

'Gong isn't the only one who has received good fortune.'

A moment later, after gathering the turbid and medicinal energies inside my body, I slowly opened my eyes.

"Huuu..."

As I exhaled, a foul smell escaped from my mouth.

It was due to the newly accumulated turbid energy, which was both old and potent.

"Hmm..."

Gong also opened his eyes. He stared blankly at the ceiling, and Heiying rushed over to check his body.

"Sir! Are you alright?"

"......Hmm."

"Sir? Sir?"

"Hmm hmm hmm."

"He's losing his mind...! You finally caused an accident! Do you know who this person is!"

Clang!

As Heiying drew her sword and approached me, a low sigh came from behind her.

"Stop making a fuss. How much more embarrassing do you want to make me?"

"Sir? Are you alright?"

"Can't you see?"

Gong sat up from the bed. It was clear at a glance that his complexion had improved.

"My body feels light. It really worked. Hmm. To think you could extract turbid energy... But are you alright?"

"......What? Ah, I'm fine."

I only understood why Gong asked this when I looked in the mirror.

My face was as pale as a corpse.

'If this is the result of absorbing just half of it...'

The turbid and medicinal energies that entered my body had not yet been fully absorbed. I needed proper cultivation to do so.

I couldn't explain everything, so I gave them a vague answer.

"It's a side effect of extracting the turbid energy. It will be fine after some time... Huh. I'll be fine."

I felt short of breath.

The intense turbid energy, which I hadn't felt in a long time, made my vision a bit blurry.

But I felt incredibly good.

Cold sweat trickled down, but I forced a smile.

"I'll extract the turbid energy a few more times today. But doing so will also cause the medicinal energy in your body to be extracted. Ultimately, it's a better method for you... Are you okay with that?"

"Of course. But... are you really alright?"

"Haha. I'm fine. It'll pass in a moment... Huh?"

Wobble.

I swayed without realizing it. Just as I was trying to regain my balance, someone reached out to support me.

It was Heiying.

She looked at me with trembling eyes.

"Are you... alright?"

"Ah, yes. Just a bit dizzy."

I nodded, barely maintaining my balance.

Sweat was dripping from my forehead.

It was because I had absorbed too much concentrated turbid and medicinal energy, causing a fever.

Thinking about absorbing it all, a smile involuntarily appeared on my face.

"......Why are you smiling like that?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"Right now, your body is suffering from a fatal... No, it's your choice. I won't interfere."

What is she talking about?

As I stared at her, she avoided my gaze.

"Thank you..."

"Oh, you can say that too. I thought you'd get angry."

I said this half-jokingly, but to my surprise, she bowed her head deeply.

'Why is she like this? The atmosphere is getting awkward...'

Cough. I cleared my throat and turned to look at Gong.

But Gong was also looking at me with a complicated expression.

"You..."

"Yes?"

"You're bleeding from the nose."

"Huh?"

When I wiped my nose with the back of my hand, bright red blood appeared.

I laughed awkwardly.

"I didn't even realize I was bleeding from the nose."

"......I don't know what to say."

Just say it.

Why is this happening?

I couldn't understand the sudden serious atmosphere between the two of them.

Moreover, I was very tired.

My head wasn't working as well as usual.

"......Anyway, both of you should rest now. We'll start the formal lessons tomorrow. I need to cultivate and take a bath."

"......Understood."

"......Yes."

Ignoring their uneasy expressions, I turned and left the room.

'Hehehe.'

I was already excited about absorbing the turbid and medicinal energies in my body.

'If I can absorb all the turbid and medicinal energies accumulated in Gong's body...'

My mastery of the Heaven-Defying Divine Art would surely advance rapidly.

Then, a thought suddenly occurred to me.

'Should I quit teaching and become a doctor? The income would be quite substantial.'

For a moment, I had that thought.

* * *

After Bai Shulong left the room.

"Even after experiencing it myself, I can hardly believe it. A body that even the Life and Death Divine Doctor couldn't cure..."

Gongsun Shou looked down at his body with an expression of disbelief.

How long had it been since he felt this light?

Five years, no, ten years.

Over a decade ago, Gongsun Shou had collapsed from overwork and hovered between life and death.

Fortunately, he was taken care of by the Life and Death Divine Doctor, who prescribed a special technique, allowing him to barely recover.

However, the Life and Death Divine Doctor couldn't completely cure him.

Because what had caused his collapse wasn't a disease.

- Gongsun Noya. If you continue living like this, you will only live for about five more years. If you want to live longer, you must retire and rest.

The Life and Death Divine Doctor had seriously advised him, but at the time, Gongsun Shou had laughed it off.

- Just prescribe the medicine well.

After that, he tried every kind of elixir and tonic, and even started practicing martial arts, which he had forgotten since childhood, to keep his body moving.

A few years passed.

The Son of Heaven ordered Gongsun Shou to return to his hometown to rest.

It wasn't exile or demotion, but a measure taken out of genuine concern for Gongsun Shou.

'I thought I would close my eyes after a few years of enjoying the scenery of my hometown...'

Deciding to receive martial arts tutoring out of the blue.

Claiming he would take the entrance exam for the Azure Dragon Academy at his age.

It was something he started as a pastime to pass the time in his remaining years and mundane daily life.

He never truly believed it was possible.

'But...'

The young man who just left the room said it was possible.

It wasn't just words.

He had extracted part of the turbid energy that had accumulated in his body for decades.

Just that made his body feel as light as if he could fly.

Perhaps... it might even be possible to learn martial arts?

"Hmm... Am I dreaming right now?"

"Sir."

Heiying bowed before him.

As far as Gongsun Shou knew, she was an incredible expert.

Her knowledge of martial arts was far deeper than his, so he asked her about his doubts.

"What the Bai teacher did to me, is it something any highly skilled martial artist can do?"

"It's impossible."

Heiying shook her head firmly.

It wasn't a matter of the level of martial arts.

What Bai Shulong did was fundamentally impossible.

"Martial arts are based on absorbing the energy of nature and expelling turbid energy. I've never heard of the opposite."

"......Isn't there something called the Absorption Technique in the martial world?"

"The Absorption Technique is a method of stealing the internal energy of others and making it one's own. Over time, the mixed internal energies cause side effects, leading to the rupture of blood vessels, so it is classified as a demonic technique."

So, did Bai Shulong master a demonic technique?

From Heiying's perspective, it didn't seem so.

Although his tone was arrogant and his actions mischievous, his eyes were full of vitality.

"Even if it were the Absorption Technique... absorbing turbid energy is akin to suicide."

High-level practitioners of the Absorption Technique don't absorb turbid energy into their bodies.

It ruins their bodies.

At least, that was what Heiying knew.

'Even if he had a special cultivation technique to mitigate the side effects...'

It doesn't change the fact that it's a lethal poison.

By now, Bai Shulong must be cultivating with all his might to expel the turbid energy.

...Heiying couldn't imagine it.

Right now, Bai Shulong was happily absorbing the turbid energy he extracted from Gongsun Shou using the Heaven-Defying Divine Art.

She said with a dark expression.

"Perhaps... he may have lost a significant amount of his lifespan today."

"!!"

Gongsun Shou's eyes widened in