Red Light District's Martial God Chapter 122

The next day.

Jaseong set aside the Shadow Pavilion for a while and, following Gal Seo-ryeong's advice, first sought out the Secret Vault of Peerless Arts.

[Secret Vault of Peerless Arts]

On the third floor of the grand hall, there stood a pitch-black iron door—that was the entrance to the Secret Vault of Peerless Arts.

"We greet the Hall Lord of Scarlet Lotus!"

"We greet the Hall Lord of Scarlet Lotus!"

The vault keepers all offered him a cupped fist salute.

As befitted elite guards of the Hao Sect's secret pavilions, every one of them exuded considerable energy.

Creak!

As the heavy iron door opened, a musty air—a mix of mold and ancient paper—washed over Jaseong.

Inside stretched endless rows of bookshelves, upon which lay the manuals of martial arts that had either been lost to the martial world or vanished over the centuries.

'As expected, this is a place where all the lost manuals of the martial world are gathered.'

Jaseong walked silently between the shelves.

His eyes glittered with greed.

If he could read all the manuals in this place, his martial talent would explode to even greater heights.

He pulled out random manuals and began to flip through them.

[The secret sword technique of the annihilated Haechang Sect, changhae Sword Technique]

[Dog-Beating Staff Analysis Chart of the Beggar's Union]

[Qinghe Steps, the lightness skill of the annihilated Qinghe House]

[Energy Circulation thod Analysis of Shaolin Temple's Diamond Tendon Changing Classic]

[Fist-Leg Technique of the hidden hermit Iron Mountain Hermit, Iron Mountain Fist]

......

Most were either from schools destroyed in the War of Orthodox and Unorthodox or the Great Heavenly Demon War, or were analysis charts of the martial arts used by the great sects of the martial world.

'If the great sects of the martial world saw this place, they'd want to burn it down at once.'

Jaseong took a seat on the spot and began reading the manuals he'd pulled out, one by one.

Shaa-shaa! Shaa-shaa!

But as they watched Jaseong, the vault keepers wore puzzled faces.

'All the manuals in here are classified as advanced martial arts. Yet he's reading these profound manuals so quickly... Is he really understanding them?'

It was only natural for the vault keepers to think so.

After all, Jaseong was flipping through the lost manuals at an astonishing pace—shaa-shaa!—reading through them.

However, Jaseong was reading more thoroughly than ever before.

Amazingly, he precisely understood the content of all those manuals.

His secret was—

Sssss—

Activating the Samadhi Eyes, ti began to slow, stretching like taffy.

In this slowed ti, each page of the manuals entered his vision as a finely detailed image.

Thanks to that, Jaseong was able to comprehend the contents of the manuals faster than anyone.

Moreover, from so manuals, the vivid intent left by their creators materialized before his eyes.

'This is....'

The intent flowing from the manuals appeared to Jaseong's eyes like strands of thread.

Following this intent and circulating his energy along it, he instantly grasped the true essence of each martial art.

Truly, he was a martial prodigy worthy of being called the genius of the Red Light District.

Around the ti Jaseong had read about a hundred manuals over several hours—

Flaaash!

Suddenly, everything before his eyes turned bright.

An unexpected wave of enlightennt washed over him.

'The Dog-Beating Staff of the Beggar's Union, the Changhae Sword Technique of the Haechang Sect, the Diamond Tendon Changing Classic of Shaolin Temple... All have different forms and patterns, but at their core, they share a single principle. All martial arts exist to break, to protect, and are bound in an endlessly cycling loop...'

Jaseong traced the principle he'd realized in the air.

Just then—

"?!"

Sothing astonishing occurred.

The golden lines weaving in the air began forming a Taiji pattern, creating a harmony of yin and yang.

This miraculously shining pattern was the very trace of the sword immortal energy that Night Cat Celestial Spirit had shown him before while explaining the Heaven Evading Celestial Formula.

'By uniting the fundantal principles within the world's martial arts, I have connected them with the martial arts of the Celestial Realm....

Is this the principle of All Streams Return to the Source that Hong Gukyul spoke of?!'

A surge of enlightennt flooded Jaseong's mind.

And as a result, he grasped the mysteries of the Heaven Evading Celestial Formula, which had eluded him until then.

'Heaven's Mandate Dao Cultivation, Star Cycle Steel, enter the Void and ditation, Everlasting Immortal Spirit, Dao Soul Return....'

Jaseong imdiately sat cross-legged and began circulating his internal energy as prescribed in the Heaven Evading Celestial Formula.

Previously, he had not sensed any reaction from this technique.

But this ti was different.

Whoooooosh!!!!!

As Jaseong muttered the mnemonic formulas of the Heaven Evading Celestial Formula during cultivation, a long tornado abruptly swirled around him.

The external ki around him was being drawn in more intensely than ever before.

Moreover, the energy wasn't just accumulating in his lower dantian below his navel; Jaseong felt it accumulating even in his heart.

'This energy pooling in my heart...? Is this the innate true ki of the middle dantian?!'

The middle dantian, which only the highest experts above the realm of transformation in the martial world could access, and which only a handful in the entire jianghu had awakened.

At this very mont, Jaseong sensed the middle dantian for the first ti in his life.

* * *

'How many hours has it been now? What kind of realization kept him cross-legged for so long?'

'And that mysterious tornado...?'

Watching Jaseong relentlessly pursuing enlightennt in the Heaven Evading Celestial Formula, the vault keepers were inwardly shocked.

Of course, as Night Cat Celestial Spirit had warned, the Heaven Evading Celestial Formula was a suprely difficult cultivation thod.

Thus, what Jaseong had achieved for now was rely sensing the middle dantian.

He had not yet ford it properly nor recovered his energy.

Still, it was an astounding martial talent.

After all, in a still-not-fully healed body, he had grasped the mysteries of the Heaven Evading Celestial Formula.

Several more hours passed.

"Hoo...."

At last, Jaseong stopped practicing the Heaven Evading Celestial Formula.

His body was drenched in sweat reeking of turbid energy.

"... This turbid energy is proof of the internal injury I received while using the Wicked Fla Sword."

Jaseong felt his body much lighter.

Rising, he looked over the many manuals spread around him and picked up one that would be useful to train right away.

[Fist-Leg Technique of the hidden hermit Iron Mountain Hermit, Iron Mountain Fist]

Jaseong's main weapon was the sword.

So he hadn't bothered with fist or leg techniques before.

"But if I master this now, it will be a great help in unexpected situations."

Moreover, the hidden hermit Iron Mountain Hermit was a trendous expert who had defeated a Demonic Cult elder during the Great Heavenly Demon War.

A fist-leg art of such a man would surely be valuable.

Just as he was about to leave the Secret Vault of Peerless Arts, another manual caught Jaseong's eye.

[Family martial art of the Guryong Clan, Guryong Flying Blade]

Guryong Clan.

A na deeply familiar to Jaseong.

Once dominant in Jiangsu Province, it had since been annihilated, and even its martial techniques were thought lost.

It was also the household of his companion, Gu Janghu.

'To think the lost martial art of the Guryong Clan was here all along... Gu Janghu had ntioned feeling limited with the Killing Valley's techniques lately. If I give him this... How will he react?'

Jaseong opened the manual.

[The flying blade of Guryong twists and writhes unpredictably like a dragon, making its trajectory impossible to foresee. It pierces through everything.]

He examined the manual thoroughly.

Amazingly, the Guryong Clan's secret technique, Guryong Flying Blade, shared similarities with the Killing Valley blade technique that Gu Janghu used.

'... It resembles Gu Janghu's Killing Valley arts, but the depth is worlds apart. It's not suitable for , but for Gu Janghu, it's a perfect fit.'

Jaseong tucked the manual into his robes and went straight to find Gu Janghu.

"Branch chief. Did the vault treat you well?"

"I'm no longer the branch leader, but the hall lord now."

"Now that I think about it, you're right. My apologies."

"Just joking. Call whatever you want. More importantly, I brought you a gift."

"A gift?"

Jaseong produced the Guryong Flying Blade manual from his robes and handed it over.

In that instant, Gu Janghu's eyes widened.

"This is...?"

"The family martial art of your Guryong Clan."

"... There was a manual from my clan in the Secret Vault of Peerless Arts?!"

Gu Janghu's voice trembled violently.

Having been taken to Killing Valley as a boy with only faint mories of his childhood, he had always harbored a deep yearning for his family's martial art.

So seeing his destroyed clan's technique at this very mont, his emotions inevitably overca him.

And so, the next mont—

Drip—drip—

Tears stread endlessly from Gu Janghu's eyes.

Even he, hardened by a life as an assassin, could not hold them back.

"Hall lord... I will never forget this favor for the rest of my life."

Clutching the manual to his chest, Gu Janghu bowed deeply to Jaseong.

His gaze held utter loyalty toward Jaseong.

Watching him, Jaseong wore a faint smile.

'At last, the martial art of the Guryong Clan has returned to its rightful place.... Just how much stronger will Gu Janghu beco, now that he knows his clan's martial art?'

* * *

After handing the manual to Gu Janghu, Jaseong left.

Standing in the corridor was Lee Rin.

"Great hero, where were you off to so early in the morning?"

Lee Rin asked, puffing out her cheeks.

"I was just at the Secret Vault of Peerless Arts."

"Tch. You could have told . I've been looking for you for ages. Did you find any manuals you liked?"

"More or less. Also, I picked up a gift for Gu Janghu."

"A gift??? What is it????"

"Ask Gu Janghu yourself later."

"Geez. What about my gift?"

"???"

"What's with that reaction?"

"You're already learning the martial arts of North Sea Ice Palace, aren't you? And as you said, that's the strongest art Beyond the Wall. So why would you need a new one?"

"Wow... You really are the best at making a girl feel left out."

"???"

"So, where are you headed now?"

"I'm going to the Shadow Pavilion."

"Haa... Then let's go together. I was bored without you around anyway."

Not knowing why she was sulking, Jaseong nodded silently and set off to the Shadow Pavilion with Lee Rin.

[Shadow Pavilion]

The top floor of the tower.

An entrance—an iron door so thick not even the supre peak experts could cut it—blocked the way.

Clang!

As the heavy iron door opened, the ceiling of the pavilion ca into view—wide open to the sky.

There, countless pigeons and black hawks flew, crying sharply as they busily moved about.

On their legs, they carried first-class information gathered from all corners of the world.

'What an incredible sight every ti. Truly the heart of the Hao Sect...'

Amid the fluttering pigeons and black hawks were won with expressionless faces.

They worked their hands swiftly, organizing information collected from across the Central Plains.

"We greet the Hall Lord of Scarlet Lotus."

The won who had been sending out carrier pigeons all saluted Jaseong with a cupped fist salute.

Jaseong imdiately gave an order.

"Find the Eternal Divine Physician."

"You an the most famous physician in the Central Plains, the Eternal Divine Physician?"

"That's correct. Send carrier pigeons throughout the Central Plains. Search every corner for his whereabouts. Find out where he is, what he's doing, and gather all relevant information."

"Yes, sir."

The won's hands flew even more quickly at Jaseong's command.

Countless pigeons and black hawks soared into the sky at once.

Jaseong's order was transmitted to Hao Sect informants throughout the Central Plains.

Watching the scene, Jaseong and Lee Rin took a seat in a corner of the Shadow Pavilion and drank the tea brought by an attendant as they waited for a report.

"By the way, great hero. What kind of person is the Eternal Divine Physician? Judging by people's reactions, he's a famous doctor, but..."

"According to the rumors, he's a physician with dical skills so miraculous, he can even resurrect the dead, and he's a supre expert."

"... He can raise the dead? That sounds ridiculously exaggerated."

Well. But is it really an exaggeration?

All supre experts, whether orthodox or unorthodox, agreed that the Eternal Divine Physician possessed dical skills so marvelous, one might not appear in ten thousand years.

However, that person remained shrouded in mystery.

So said the Eternal Divine Physician was a strikingly young maiden; others claid to have seen a wrinkled old man.

"A maiden and an old man...? That's quite a range."

That wasn't all.

So insisted the Eternal Divine Physician was upright and honest, befitting an orthodox faction.

Others described the person as so cruel even the unorthodox factions would weep in fear.

'What kind of person is the Eternal Divine Physician, really? And will he be able to restore my energy?'

Taking a sip of tea, Jaseong gazed out the window.

About three hours later—

"Hall Lord of Scarlet Lotus. Would you read this carrier pigeon ssage?"

An attendant from the Shadow Pavilion brought Jaseong a correspondence.

By that ti, Lee Rin had grown tired of waiting and was dozing off.

Jaseong reached for the ssage and checked its contents.

At that very mont—

"Is this reliable information?"

"It's a flash report, so the reliability may be low. But it's not sothing we can ignore either."

Jaseong fell montarily silent.

The correspondence in his hand contained the following:

[Flash report: Information has surfaced that the person who assassinated the Evil Path Association Leader is an elder of the orthodox faction, the Eternal Divine Physician.

The Eternal Divine Physician murdered the Evil Path Association Leader and has since disappeared.]

[Special note: This information is currently being circulated by the Murim Alliance.]