Chapter 09…
The next day at dawn.
Tap—tap tap—
Startled by the faint sound outside the window, Gu Yangcheon-gang leapt out of bed.
His heart pounded wildly, and cold sweat drenched his body.
“Hoo… hoo…”
He gasped for breath as he peered out the window.
In the darkness, only tree branches swaying in the wind moved.
‘Damn… I’m this scared just by the sound of branches?’
[Doctor, are you okay? Your heart rate exceeded 140 beats per minute. Your cortisol level is 3.2 times higher than usual.]
‘So this is PTSD… My mind knows I’m safe, but my body doesn’t listen.’
[It’s a natural response considering what happened yesterday. Suddenly facing an assassination attempt after living peacefully in 21st-century Korea—if you weren’t shaken, that would be stranger.]
Gu Yangcheon-gang brushed his face with trembling hands.
Sleep no longer seemed possible.
‘Might as well practice some qigong breathing. If I stay still, my thoughts will just spiral.’
He retrieved the “Perpetual Warm Jade” from his belongings, grasped it, and sat cross-legged.
With the warmth in his hands, he practiced breathing: inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 2, exhale for 6, repeatedly. Gradually, his mind and body calmed.
A subtle warmth generated at his dantian and flowed carefully through his meridians.
After about an hour, finishing his qigong practice, he opened his eyes feeling refreshed.
[Doctor, I have good news.]
Akasha’s voice was an octave higher than usual.
‘Why are you so excited?’
[We have finally fully deciphered the pattern on the rooftop of the Potau House. And it seems the information contained is far more important than expected.]
‘Really? What is it?’
[It’s faster if you see it yourself.]
Taking a deep breath, Gu Yangcheon-gang began pressing the rooftop pattern in the sequence Akasha had previously shown him mentally.
Once the unlock pattern was completed, the rooftop radiated a red light.
Before his eyes unfolded a wondrous sight.
Translucent red lines appeared in the air, tracing complex three-dimensional shapes.
It was vivid like a hologram, yet mysterious.
Gu Yangcheon-gang’s eyes doubled in size in shock.
‘A hologram in a martial arts world…!’
The first image was a diagram of the human meridians. But compared to what he had seen in the “Choyeon Mind Manual,” it was on a completely different level.
The red lines pulsed as if alive, showing the flow of qi in real time.
‘This… is a projection of four-dimensional information into three dimensions. It’s a dynamic model including the flow of time!’
Small arrows followed the meridians, indicating the direction and speed of qi.
In some places fast, in others slow, and in some spiraling…
Then the second, third, fourth… images continued to appear.
Each meridian diagram represented a different training stage, becoming progressively more complex and refined.
When the eighteenth and final diagram disappeared, the rooftop returned to its normal appearance.
Gu Yangcheon-gang remained speechless for a long moment, overwhelmed by what he had just witnessed.
[Doctor? Are you okay?]
‘Akasha… did I really just see that?’
[Yes! 100% real!]
‘I can’t believe such high-tech exists in a world that’s otherwise like medieval Earth.’
[You can believe it. I saw it too.]
Gu Yangcheon-gang, just in case, tried pressing the rooftop pattern again—but there was no response.
[Doctor, it seems this was a one-time information transmission and demonstration system. But don’t worry; all the videos and data are safely stored in my memory.]
Nodding, Gu Yangcheon-gang asked,
‘The hologram looked like a training method for internal energy… what’s the analysis say?’
[Hmm… the data is too vast for an accurate analysis immediately. Please wait a moment.]
Akasha went silent.
Gu Yangcheon-gang looked back at the rooftop in his mind, recalling the diagrams he had just seen.
‘The meridian diagram from the first image… I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere before…’
He went to his desk and opened the “Choyeon Mind Manual” that Gu Yangcheon had given him.
As he flipped through the pages, his hand froze.
‘This is it!’
The meridian diagram in the manual and the first hologram image were remarkably similar.
Actually, the hologram was far more detailed and three-dimensional, but the basic structure was identical.
‘So the hologram really is a form of internal energy training…’
As he pondered deeply, Akasha’s voice returned.
[Doctor, the analysis is complete.]
‘What did you find?’
[First, your guess was correct. This is indeed an internal energy mind technique. But it differs from normal static or seated methods.]
‘How is it different?’
[It’s “Dynamic Qi” (Dong Gong). It’s a mind technique practiced while moving. Not done in a seated state, but performed while executing specific movements.]
Gu Yangcheon-gang nodded.
‘That’s why the arrows moved so dynamically.’
[Exactly. The arrows and directional changes indicate the path, direction, and speed of internal energy. It’s an incredibly precise system.]
‘Compared to the Choyeon Mind Manual?’
Akasha hesitated briefly.
[Honestly… if the Choyeon Mind Manual is elementary arithmetic, this is graduate-level calculus. It’s a whole different dimension.]
‘That much?’
[Yes. But Doctor, there’s one more important finding. This holographic Dong Gong isn’t complete.]
Gu Yangcheon-gang’s eyebrows twitched.
‘Incomplete? What do you mean?’
[The eighteen recorded diagrams correspond to only the first half of the full training method. Considering the complexity and energy flow endpoints of the analyzed patterns, a similar set for the second half must exist to complete the system.]
‘So it’s a half-finished technique… a pity. But better than nothing.’
[Even half is incredibly valuable. The principles alone could provide essential insights to innovatively improve your Choyeon Mind Manual Plus. But…]
‘But?’
[Doctor, you cannot practice this Dong Gong.]
A deep frown appeared on Gu Yangcheon-gang’s forehead.
‘As expected… because of my Nine Yin Meridian issue, right?’
[Correct. This technique was designed for a normal body without congenital limitations like the Nine Yin Meridian.]
‘…Damn it.’
Gu Yangcheon-gang gave a bitter smile.
‘Half-finished and untouchable… double teasing.’
[It’s not just a tease, Doctor.]
‘What do you mean? You just said I can’t practice it.’
[You can’t practice it directly, but analyzing the principles and structure of this incomplete Dong Gong can provide crucial clues to upgrade your Choyeon Mind Manual Plus. Like improving existing technology using only partial blueprints of cutting-edge tech.]
Gu Yangcheon-gang’s eyes lit up.
‘Oh? Even a half blueprint with core principles is enough to adapt and apply?’
[Yes. Some principles, especially regarding energy conversion and flow control, can be modified to fit your current condition.]
‘Expected improvement? Compared to Choyeon Mind Manual Plus?’
[Applying these principles could increase efficiency by at least 200% over your current manual. If the Dong Gong were complete, the effect would be unpredictable.]
‘It’s a shame it’s half and I can’t practice it immediately…’
[In such cases, it’s best to let go of regrets, Doctor. Focus on what you can use.]
‘No choice then.’
Gu Yangcheon-gang’s gaze sharpened.
‘I must upgrade Choyeon Mind Manual Plus immediately.’
He pulled out paper and brush and began drawing complex diagrams.
With Akasha’s help, he compared the incomplete but extraordinary Dong Gong paths and principles with the Choyeon Mind Manual, searching for the optimal combination.
Around noon, there was a knock at the door.
“Master, your meal has arrived.”
It was Hwang Nodai’s voice.
Unlike usual, there was a rigid tension in his tone.
When Gu Yangcheon-gang opened the door, Hwang Nodai entered.
“Nodai, how’s the pursuit of the assassin going?”
“We are doing our best and should be able to catch their trail soon.”
“If it’s dangerous, stop immediately. Understood?”
Hwang Nodai only gave a bitter smile without replying.
Instead, he glanced at the papers on the desk and asked curiously,
“Master, what is this?”
“I’ve been doing some research.”
“Don’t overexert yourself. Your body will suffer.”
“Yes.”
After Hwang Nodai left, Gu Yangcheon-gang returned to his studies.
Except for brief breaks, he did not move from his seat, pouring all his time into research.
By sunset, Gu Yangcheon-gang frowned deeply and slowly set down his brush.
The dozens of sheets on his desk were filled with complex calculations and diagrams.
[Doctor, we’ve completed the 22nd revision… yet it still feels lacking. Using the incomplete Dong Gong principle causes energy flow to stagnate at certain points.]
‘Yes… efficiency improved, but the fundamental limitation remains. I can’t stop the cold from the Nine Yin Meridian interfering…’
At that moment, Akasha spoke cautiously.
[Doctor, what if we think completely differently?]
‘Differently?’
[Yes. Until now, we’ve tried to avoid or block the Nine Yin Meridian’s cold. But what if we could use that cold as an energy source?]
‘Hmm…’
[The holographic Dong Gong’s core principle is the precise balance and conversion between two opposite-energy systems, Yin and Yang. Meanwhile, the cold of the Nine Yin Meridian is a clear “Yin energy spectrum.”]
‘But…?’
[What if we extract the logic that controls and converts Yin energy from the Dong Gong principle and use it separately?]
‘Wouldn’t that break the balance of Yin and Yang?’
[We can restructure and optimize it to suit your special physical condition.]
‘Have you simulated it?’
[Yes.]
‘Result?’
[By selectively separating and refining the cold, it can likely be used as an energy source for system operation and sustaining life, with a probability of 89.7%.]
‘Hmm…’
[This method might also weaken the Nine Yin Meridian, which isn’t impossible.]
Gu Yangcheon-gang’s gaze sharpened.
‘What did you say?’
[The Nine Yin Meridian causes illness because cold accumulates in the nine major acupoints. But if the cold is continuously consumed, what happens then?]
Gu Yangcheon-gang crossed his arms.
‘Then the consumption rate must exceed the accumulation rate of cold in the meridians.’
[Exactly.]
‘Easier said than done.’
Grumbling, Gu Yangcheon-gang hurriedly began drawing new diagrams.
