Chapter 59: Heavenly Ordeal (1)
Nagu, the leader of the Heavenly Ordeal Sect, thought rationally.
The Qigong sect operates on a system of generations.
That meant, she only needed to persuade the masters of the third generation.
No matter how skilled or charismatic Yoo Hajin was, the generational gap was unavoidable.
Even if Yoo Hajin joined the Qigong sect, the highest he could achieve was being a fourth-generation disciple under the third generation masters.
“Though unlikely, I wish that were the case.”
This was because if he could control Yoo Hajin through the third-generation masters, there would be no one left to protect Nayu.
This meant that the Heavenly Ordeal Sect could operate normally again.
“Time is really running out.”
Nagu bit her lip.Warnings had already come from Cheonji and the Sects.
Heavenly Ordeal Sect was an organization meant to control Heaven’s Punishment. If they could no longer control Heaven’s Punishment, they would lose their reason for existence—a chilling warning.
Thus, in the reception room of the Qigong sect gymnasium,
Nagu spoke, hiding her desperation.
“Nice to meet you, Director Lee Jin-yu.”
“Nice to meet you too. You're from Heavenly Ordeal Sect?”
“Yes, I am Nagu, the leader of the Heavenly Ordeal Sect.”
Director Lee Jin-yu looked like a young woman.
Was such a young-looking woman the new head of the Qigong sect?
Nagu tilted her head slightly in her mind.
‘She must be older than she looks. Masters often avoid aging.’
Having gathered her thoughts, Nagu slowly began to speak.
“Our Heavenly Ordeal Sect fully supports the newly unified Qigong sect.”
“Thank you for saying that. I don't know much about the Heavenly Ordeal Sect, but I've heard that Cheonji and the Sects have supported your organization since ancient times.”
Director Lee Jin-yu said with a bright smile.
“For an organization like yours to support us, there must be something you want?”
“Yes. I will be honest with you.”
After swallowing once, Nagu continued.
“Heaven’s Punishment is the wrath of the heavens. Our Heavenly Ordeal Sect exists to channel this wrath and prevent harm to humanity. However, right now, some rogue forces are blocking this effort and threatening all of humanity.”
Nagu continued speaking.
“If the Qigong sect helps us stop these rogue forces, Heavenly Ordeal Sect will support the Qigong sect with the necessary tools and techniques.”
Director Lee Jin-yu remained silent at those words.
The Qigong sect is a group that trains in Qigong. And Qigong is a technique suited for spiritual warriors who use their bodies.
Because of this, the Qigong sect had far fewer shamans and sorcerers compared to other organizations. This meant they were severely lacking in the necessary tools and techniques.
Having organized her thoughts, Director Lee Jin-yu nodded.
“Honestly, it's an attractive proposal.”
“Then...?”
“Can you now tell me who these rogue forces are?”
Nagu smiled faintly at those words.
Since the Day of Awakening, the word "information" had become a dangerous term. In this world, just knowing certain facts could threaten one's very existence.
And yet, to ask for information? It was as good as accepting her proposal.
“His name is Yoo Hajin. Here’s a picture. He’s a young man, only twenty years old.”
“Yoo Hajin?”
Director Lee Jin-yu looked at the man in the photo.
Yoo Hajin-nim, 2nd Generation Master.
The second supreme master of the Qigong sect.
‘My savior.’
Indeed.
He was the one who saved her. No, he saved the entire Qigong sect. According to what she heard from her third-generation senior, he might have also prevented the founder from going completely mad and becoming a murderer.
And yet, he had no greed, handing over all his authority to someone as inadequate as her before disappearing.
Of course, Yoo Hajin had simply taken a break, but Director Lee Jin-yu didn't know that.
Was this woman asking her to betray someone like that?
What was this trash in front of her saying?
Seeing Director Lee Jin-yu's face turn cold, Nagu prepared to flee. Somehow, this situation felt all too familiar.
“W-wait a minute.”
“To dare come to the main branch of the Qigong sect and ask me to betray the 2nd Generation Master...”
“T-the 2nd Generation? But Yoo Hajin is only twenty years old. How could he be...”
But Nagu was already fleeing.
As a shaman in tune with lightning, she had already transformed her body into lightning and was racing down the corridor.
A voice echoed behind her.
“Yin-Yang Qigong. Thunder Strike.”
With those words, the corridor where Nagu had been disappeared.
Hearing the sound of the corridor collapsing, Nagu thought.
‘A successor of the Ilwol-Oakmoon sect, an honorary director of the Anomaly Response Headquarters, and a direct disciple of the Qigong sect’s Kirieon? How can such a being exist? Even our Heavenly Ordeal Sect can’t handle such a monster!’
As she fled, Nagu thought.
She must give up on attacking Yoo Hajin.
‘There's only one option left. Make Yoo Hajin come to us.’
Barely escaping from the rampaging Director Lee Jin-yu, Nagu set her resolve.
At that moment, Yoo Hajin, the successor of the Ilwol-Oakmoon sect and holder of many other titles, yawned as he woke up.
“Training is such a pain.”
He scratched his belly and looked at his phone.
****
“Training is such a pain.”
I scratched my belly and looked at my phone.
Why does the world have so many fun things, yet I have to train?
But I quickly changed my mind.
I need to get stronger so I can punch those damn ghosts who have my sister under their spell and bring her back from beyond the great demon gate.
So, it was time to get up.
I stood up and picked up the box containing the seals of extreme yin and extreme yang.
Today, my training will focus on the Yeon’gak stage.
The Yeon’gak stage roughly meant this:
Dok’gak - The stage of realizing one's own abilities alone.
Yeon’gak - The stage of sensing the Qi of the world.
Jeong’gak - The stage of activating abilities through that Qi.
And the best method to sense the Qi of this world was the Qigong sect’s 30 Qigong chapters.
‘The Qigong sect is specialized in handling Qi, so it must be reliable.’
I hadn’t compared it to other groups online, but it must be trustworthy. But why is there so little information about spiritual power training on the internet?
Is someone controlling the internet and dislikes spiritual abilities?
Could that be?
That's just something you hear in ghost stories.
Shaking my head, I stepped out of the house.
I pressed the button for the old elevator in Louisville.
I planned to go to the rooftop.
The extreme yin and extreme yang energies were fine for me, but they seemed to be somewhat toxic to others. So, I intended to train on the rooftop, where no one would come.
Ding - clunk, clunk.
The old elevator opened.
“Even if they don’t pay the maintenance fees...”
I got in the elevator and looked at the buttons.
Some buttons had &, %, #, or no label at all.
What is this, a phone keypad? It’s odd, even though I see it every day.
Anyway, I took that elevator up to the rooftop. As soon as I arrived, I could see the clear sky.
And there, reaching toward the blue sky, was a girl. She was as mysterious and beautiful as her sky-blue hair. Nayu looked at me and smiled brightly.
“Nayu's welcoming smile.”
“Hey, Nayu.”
I approached Nayu and asked.
“Do you have any hunches about any numbers today?”
“Nayu's puzzled expression.”
“Or do you have any sense of which stocks might go up or down?”
But Nayu didn’t answer and hopped past me.
“Nayu shakes her head.”
“Why, why?”
Why won't she tell me?
Ah, maybe she doesn’t have a feeling yet?
“Nayu's serious lecture.”
Nayu put her hands on her hips, pretending to be serious.
But she was just cute no matter how serious she tried to be.
Still, a serious lecture, huh.
Tsk. Is she saying I shouldn’t be so money-minded?
“Liking money isn’t wrong. Most people like money.”
“Nayu's cautionary words about worldly desires.”
“Hmph, Nayu, even you say that kind of thing.”
Pursue what cannot be seen.
Follow the invisible values.
But for someone like me, who couldn't see ghosts, those metaphysical values were impossible to follow. What mattered to me was what I could see in front of me.
And that was material things, which meant money.
“Money is visible. That's why I like money the most in the world.”
“Nayu's expression of disapproval!”
“What, what's so pitiful!”
Tsk, forget it.
Arguing with someone who knows nothing is pointless.
I stepped away from Nayu and said.
“Nayu, go downstairs. I’m about to do something dangerous.”
“Nayu’s muttering refusal.”
“Ahem.”
I decided to scare her a little by opening the seal box slightly.
“See, can you feel the dangerous aura? Go downstairs quickly.”
“Nayu's unyielding confidence!”
Unyielding, huh?
Right, Nayu was a super shaman who could predict lottery numbers.
Maybe she could withstand it.
Still, I cautiously took out the extreme yin and extreme yang. But Nayu didn’t flinch at all. She even had a confident expression on her face.
So, Nayu was strong enough to withstand extreme yin and extreme yang.
“...Still, don’t come too close.”
With that, I held extreme yang in my right hand and extreme yin in my left. Warmth filled my right hand, and coldness filled my left.
Perfect.
All the preparations to reach Yeon’gak were complete.
Feeling Nayu’s intense gaze on me, I opened the first chapter of Qigong from the Qigong sect.
– – – The End of The Chapter – – –
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