Yama Reborn-Chapter 392 - 389: [Tricked.] (3 more releases, 12k words)
Chapter 389: Deceived.
Old Jiang’s true power level, according to the current Underground World’s classification of Ability Users, actually never even crossed the threshold to become a Destroyer.
In a direct comparison, Old Jiang’s power didn’t even match up to Chen Nuo’s dear Davarishi.
Roughly speaking, during that incident where The Abyss organization caused trouble for Chen Nuo and was subsequently counter-annihilated by him in a one-on-five battle, the leader, Anderson, who had recklessly led his team to their demise, was more or less on par with Old Jiang’s power.
Such power, in the Underground World of Ability Users in this world, made him a skilled operative, a standout.
But he was far from being a true master.
If he were to join a somewhat larger organization of Ability Users, he might become a core member.
Of course, that was in the past.
In the last year, Old Jiang’s power had actually soared at an astonishing speed.
It was a sudden and steep enhancement.
Even now, Old Jiang was actually very close to becoming a Destroyer.
The cause of this change was solely because Chen Nuo had a fusion of spiritual power with Old Jiang during the Consciousness Space fracture repair.
Then, as Chen Nuo’s strength was replenished, everyone who had undergone a spiritual power fusion with Chen Nuo, including Old Jiang, experienced a great increase in power—Xicheng Xun being one of the beneficiaries, for example.
Boss Guo and his wife also suddenly felt their skills greatly improve and even saw hope for a breakthrough, so they closed their noodle shop and returned to devote themselves to intense cultivation.
Now, Old Jiang felt that he had touched the ceiling he had dreamed of for over a decade.
Originally, due to the limitations of his Cultivation Technique and his own natural talent, Old Jiang would never have dreamed of breaking through to that realm in his lifetime.
Then, the accident happened.
Old Jiang had a breakthrough in his skills and couldn’t resist trying to heal Song Qiaoyun’s injuries.
As a result, he only made them worse.
"When I was young and wandering the world, I was full of youthful vigor and martial skills, too ignorant of the world’s immensity, always thinking that with the martial arts I had practiced for many years and my abilities, I could go anywhere under the heavens..."
Hearing Old Jiang say this, Chen Nuo sighed inwardly. How did Wu Daodao’s wife describe Old Jiang back then? A country bumpkin... one hand could defeat eight. But well, Chen Nuo could understand. When young, who hasn’t been arrogant? Besides, Old Jiang truly had ability; he had just overestimated his own strength.
"...After roaming for several years, I gradually understood the dangers of this world. My meager skills were nothing before true masters.
"Not to mention distant encounters, just last year in Jinling, I met an extremely formidable woman who could crush me with a mere gesture! I couldn’t even withstand a single exchange, let alone resist; I didn’t even have a chance to escape..."
Uh... about that... Chen Nuo felt somewhat embarrassed upon hearing this. You know... that woman who beat you up last year is lying in the room right now... If you went into the room and took a look, you’d certainly recognize her. Right... Old Jiang actually still hasn’t recognized Lu Xixi. Firstly, the beating last year happened so quickly and unexpectedly that Old Jiang and Lu Xixi barely exchanged words before he was pinned down and thrashed. Secondly, during this encounter, Lu Xixi has been unconscious the entire time, her appearance has become much younger, and Yu Naitang has kept her wrapped in blankets. Thirdly, during the escape, Old Jiang didn’t really look at Lu Xixi—he’s an upright gentleman and wouldn’t stare at a woman. Besides, it was dark with poor visibility when they escaped, and he himself was severely injured. Once they reached safety and Lu Xixi was settled in a room, Old Jiang wouldn’t enter a sleeping woman’s room, staying in the living room the entire time. So... Chen Nuo thought about this and subconsciously glanced back at the bedroom door. Yeah, if Old Jiang were brought into that room now to stand beside Lu Xixi’s bed for a look, it would surely be quite a spectacle.
"Alas, Master, I understand all that," Chen Nuo said with a wry smile. "Just tell me about the trouble you caused back then."
"Hmm," Old Jiang said, shaking his head. "Actually, after I encountered that powerful woman last year and subsequently escaped, I’ve had regrets... That person’s strength was extraordinary. When your master’s wife was injured in her early years, I searched far and wide for experts, hearing that if someone with supreme strength could be found to regulate her blocked Inner Breath, there might be hope for her recovery."
"So, your master’s wife’s injury is due to a blockage in her Inner Breath?" Chen Nuo frowned.
"Yes, back then, your master’s wife fought a great battle to save me," Old Jiang said, a hint of guilt in his voice.
"In my youth, I was ignorant and caused trouble while adventuring in the martial world. Eventually, my heart grew weary, so I returned to my hometown to be with your master’s wife.
"But I never expected that the trouble I’d stirred up outside would one day follow me home.
"I once took on a commission, a group of us went to find a treasure.
"After we found it, we discovered several other groups had also tracked it there. We ended up in a standoff.
"During the final struggle, the groups began to fight, and I personally killed one person. The situation was chaotic. I hadn’t wanted to kill anyone, and by then, my desire for the adventurer’s life had already faded.
"I was just thinking of finishing that commission and then retiring to my hometown.
"But in the melee, it seemed the other side wanted to kill everyone, perhaps to prevent news of the treasure from leaking.
"So I had no choice. If I didn’t strike hard, I would have died there, so I couldn’t hold back and had to be ruthless.
"And then, someone from the opposing side was killed by my own hand on the spot."
Chen Nuo frowned and said, "So, did someone from their side come for revenge later?"
Old Jiang’s expression grew complicated. "I was young back then, too high-profile after starting out in the martial world. I also made a few friends, and sometimes I was careless, leaving traces and revealing parts of my identity.
"After I escaped that time, the mission failed. I didn’t care; I just ran back to my hometown, thinking I’d never enter the martial world again.
"I didn’t expect that the person I killed had close relatives who never gave up looking for me. After some time and much investigation, they found some traces I had left behind.
"Thinking about it now, it was my own doing. The friends I made while adventuring... I was a poor judge of character. I considered them friends and didn’t hide my identity well. But in the end, they sold me out.
"As a result, the avenger found his way to my home.
"That enemy was very powerful. I was no match for him and was quickly defeated.
"And then..."
Next, Old Jiang briefly recounted what happened, his voice tinged with remorse.
The avenger came to their home. Old Jiang fought with all his might but was no match. At the critical moment, Song Qiaoyun intervened.
Only then did Old Jiang realize that his fiancée, who had always been waiting for him in their hometown, was far more skilled in the Song Family’s martial arts than he was.
The enemy whom he couldn’t defeat despite his utmost efforts was decisively killed by Song Qiaoyun after a fierce battle!
That scene made Old Jiang suddenly realize that his martial arts, which he had arrogantly believed to be strong in his youth, were not only far from top-tier in the outside world, but even his seemingly delicate fiancée, Song Qiaoyun, who had waited for him at home, was far stronger than him.
Hearing this, even Chen Nuo couldn’t help but feel sorry for Old Jiang. This old man really had it tough... In his entire life, there wasn’t a single person around him he could beat! Never mind his three apprentices, each more monstrous than the last. The head of the Hong Kong Song Family’s martial arts school had also defeated Old Jiang directly in the ring. And now, it seemed Song Qiaoyun had to be added to that list. The head of the family, unable to beat anyone...
"At that time, I thought we had escaped danger," Old Jiang continued. "But unexpectedly, after the decisive battle, your master’s wife, although she killed the enemy, was also gravely injured.
"During the fierce battle, she pushed her Inner Breath to its limits and damaged her meridians.
"We originally thought she would naturally recover after a few days of rest. But unexpectedly, after months of recuperation, while her other injuries gradually healed, she began to grow drowsy and one day, suddenly went mad.
"I took her to several hospitals, and all of them said it was a mental issue, insanity.
"But Qiao Yun had been fine for so many years; how could she suddenly go mad? I knew it had to be a hidden consequence of that battle.
"Later, I sought out some Ancient Martial Arts experts, even those from hidden lineages. Finally, I found a master who diagnosed her and found the cause.
"During the decisive battle, Qiao Yun had forcibly circulated her Inner Breath, injuring her already frail meridians.
"Other areas slowly healed, but the meridians near her heart were too heavily damaged, causing her Inner Breath to stagnate and not disperse.
"As it lingered for a long time without self-healing, the circulation of Inner Breath worsened the accumulation, and so her current condition developed..."
Chen Nuo frowned.
"Her heart meridians were damaged, causing her Inner Breath to stagnate," Old Jiang explained. "It accumulated more and more, until it built up in her heart meridians and was obstructed.
"When the Inner Breath accumulated to a certain point, her body’s meridians would instinctively try to balance themselves by forcibly dispersing the power. During this dispersal, a strand of Inner Breath would inevitably enter her brain through the heart meridians.
"That caused her madness.
"But unfortunately, there was no medicinal cure for this condition.
"We tried many methods.
"In the end, out of desperation, since her heart meridians couldn’t heal, we had no choice but to harden our hearts and dissipate all of Qiao Yun’s painstakingly cultivated Inner Breath!
"Yet, after Qiao Yun painfully dispelled her power, losing all her life’s hard work, her illness did indeed seem to recover immediately.
"But after a few days, it relapsed."
Chen Nuo frowned. "After dispersing her power and clearing the blockages, how could it have recurred?"
"Because she is a martial artist who has cultivated our sect’s Inner Breath since childhood," Old Jiang said. "Even if she doesn’t practice daily, her Inner Breath naturally circulates through her meridians while she sleeps. It has become an instinct developed over many years.
"After dispersing all her power, even in her sleep, her Inner Breath habitually operates according to our sect’s techniques, slowly regenerating, bit by bit.
"Moreover, for some unknown reason, after she dispersed her power, the daily self-circulation of her Inner Breath began to generate faster and faster!
"In the end, even without any practice, the instinctual circulation would slowly generate more and more Inner Breath, at an ever-increasing rate.
"At first, it would block her meridians and cause an episode once every ten to fifteen days.
"Later, it became an episode every seven or eight days.
"In the past three years, it has become a daily occurrence.
"This indicates that the speed at which her Inner Breath generates is increasing."
The more Chen Nuo listened, the more incredible it seemed. So, according to this, after Song Qiaoyun nullified her own martial arts, her Inner Breath re-established itself due to inertia, and at a faster rate than when she used to cultivate?
"In the past three years, her Inner Breath has caused a blockage daily, which is what you later saw. She had an episode almost every day," Old Jiang finished.
Chen Nuo thought for a while. "I remember last year, in the two or three months before I left, your master’s wife’s illness seemed to have improved a lot, and the episodes seemed less frequent."
"Actually, no." Old Jiang shook his head and said softly, "The expert who initially diagnosed her was a mighty Ancient Martial Arts practitioner who had reached the peak of cultivation.
"He told us that if we wanted to cure this problem completely, we would have to puncture her Dantian and Qi Sea.
"If her Dantian and Qi Sea were punctured, although it would completely neutralize her Inner Breath and she would no longer suffer from meridian blockages and go insane, but for an Ancient Martial Artist like Song Qiaoyun who has attained her level, puncturing the Dantian and Qi Sea is extremely dangerous. There’s a high probability that the person might be finished.
"At the very least, they would be seriously injured and bedridden with chronic illness, perhaps even spending the rest of their life barely clinging to survival—and that would be considered lucky.
"The greater probability is that the person could die on the spot from such severe injuries."
Old Jiang lowered his voice. "These years, we’ve actually tried everything to control her injury.
"To call it treatment isn’t quite accurate... it’s more like constantly trying to weaken her Inner Breath.
"We’ve used all sorts of power-dispersing medicines and pills from various Ancient Martial Arts sects, as well as various drugs to weaken her meridians and slow down the circulation of her Inner Breath.
"I even spared no effort, expending my own power to dissipate her martial power every few days..."
Chen Nuo listened closely and pondered for a moment. "What about the expert who initially treated your master’s wife? Didn’t he mention any other methods?"
"’Marrow Cleansing and Tendon Changing!’" Old Jiang’s eyes lit up as he quickly said in a low voice, "That’s exactly what he told me.
"He said if we want to cure her completely, we need to find a supremely powerful expert who can perform Marrow Cleansing and Tendon Changing for Qiao Yun! Completely heal and repair the blocked meridians!
"But... the expert also said that to achieve this, only a supremely powerful expert would suffice. Even he himself wasn’t powerful enough.
"Moreover, that expert was very old, his vital energy was declining, and his own internal strength was insufficient to undertake such a task.
"Yet over these years, I haven’t been able to find anyone capable of doing this."
Chen Nuo had a basic understanding now. The so-called supremely powerful expert probably had to be at the level of a Controller. Only a Controller could achieve such mastery over the body, whether for growth, healing, regeneration, or repair... With this thought, Chen Nuo felt a tinge of regret. If he hadn’t been injured last year and his Consciousness Space had remained undamaged, he would have recovered to the Controller level. If he had known about this matter then, helping Song Qiaoyun would have had a decent chance of success. But now... I am 16/17. Although theoretically, Chen Nuo roughly knew how to proceed, whether he could actually do it was another matter. Uh... However, speaking of Controllers, even if I’m not up to it... Fortunately, I also know other Controllers. Like the Son of the Sun? Or... Perhaps ask Seed for a favor?
"How is your master’s wife doing now?" Chen Nuo asked.
Old Jiang shook his head. "Her condition has become increasingly serious, and it’s gradually becoming very difficult to control.
"The Inner Breath regenerates faster by the day. There were a few times when I tried to help disperse her power, but I almost couldn’t control it.
"I was helpless, so I had to think of another way.
"Supreme experts do exist in this world, and naturally, Controllers exist in the Underground World.
"But to ask a Controller to take action... and as that esteemed expert told me, to truly heal Qiao Yun, even a supreme expert would need to expend a huge amount of energy.
"Even after the treatment, the supreme expert would be greatly weakened and temporarily vulnerable.
"Finding someone willing to help under such circumstances is quite difficult."
Chen Nuo finally understood completely.
If it were just a matter of getting a Controller to lend a hand, though difficult, there would still be hope.
In the Underground World, one could find a website or channel similar to the Octopus Monster, spend a large sum of money, and post a commission.
Generally speaking, there’s a market price for such services.
Roughly, in today’s market, for a general commission, one might be able to hire a Controller for 10 million M yuan.
However, that only applies to general commissions.
A Controller won’t risk their life for your 10 million M yuan.
For instance, before the Antarctica mission began, the Wizard and his companions made it very clear to Nolan: in the face of danger, they would choose to save themselves and not care for others.
And Nolan and the others considered this perfectly natural and wouldn’t object.
Therefore, it would be very hard to find a Controller willing to take on Old Jiang’s commission.
To help Song Qiaoyun with Marrow Cleansing and Tendon Changing, if it indeed would leave a Controller weakened—even temporarily—it would be dangerous.
If this were a malicious trap, ambushing the expert with other powerful fighters immediately after the treatment could very likely lead to the Controller’s downfall.
Even if Old Jiang harbored no ill will, why would a Controller, who is neither kith nor kin, risk being weakened or meeting their demise just to earn your money?
However, Chen Nuo had another thought. "But, Old Jiang, you’ve actually come to Europe to earn money... Do you urgently need a large sum? Or have you already found a supreme expert to take action and are just earning the commission fee?"
Old Jiang’s expression was complicated. "What supreme expert? If I could have found one, I wouldn’t be so desperate."
He spoke softly, "Qiao Yun and I have decided. Since there’s no other way, we’ll take a desperate risk and destroy her Dantian and Qi Sea!"
Seeing Chen Nuo’s shocked expression, Old Jiang shook his head. "I indeed need a vast amount of money.
"If we destroy Qiao Yun’s Dantian and Qi Sea, her life will be at risk.
"In our Ancient Martial Arts world, if the Dantian and Qi Sea are destroyed, the damage isn’t just physical trauma to the body.
"Destroying them would cause one to be critically injured and dying on the spot. And since this destruction targets the very core of an Ancient Martial Artist, even if they are temporarily saved from death, they would continuously and rapidly weaken, their life force swiftly depleting..."
Chen Nuo nodded. "Okay, I understand.
"You need to buy the Self-healing Serum of a Self-Healing Ability User!
"Moreover, you need blood from the person with the strongest self-healing ability—the purest, extracted with the best technique, and the most effective.
"And... you need more than just a vial or two.
"You need a lot!
"You want to destroy your master’s wife’s Dantian and Qi Sea, and then use a massive amount of Self-healing Serum.
"To keep her alive while she’s critically injured and on the brink of death.
"Then, give her injection after injection, sustaining her life, to get her through this gateway of hell.
"Is that it?"
"...Yes," Old Jiang replied. "The best, top-grade Self-healing Serum extracted from Healers—Level A grade—costs about 2 million M yuan per dose.
"I’ve estimated that about eight doses are needed.
"But to be safe, it’s best to have more than ten doses on hand before I dare to attempt it."
Old Jiang’s expression was one of sorrow. "Even so, even if everything goes smoothly and Qiao Yun makes it through, because her Qi Sea will be destroyed and her Dantian ruined, she’ll be bedridden for the rest of her life, never having a day of good health."
Chen Nuo, upon hearing this, shook his head. "Old Jiang... Oh, Master.
"Who told you they could sell you more than ten doses of Level A Self-healing Serum from Healers?
"You’ve... been deceived!!"
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(Author’s Note: Thank you all for your concern about my mother’s recovery. I’ve typed up a bit more today, making up a little for past due work. The updates will stabilize from here on out.)
