The Affairs of the Martial World - Vol 4: Chapter 10

After a long journey, they finally arrived at the abode of the Four Immortals of Penglai.

The four lived on a small island in the sea named Penglai Immortal Island. It was unclear whether the island got its nickname from the Four Immortals of Penglai or if the Four Immortals of Penglai were named after the island.

As soon as Quan Zhengyi arrived at the place, he leaped down from the carriage and shouted towards a few houses in the distance, “Are the three old freaks home?” As the words echoed out, his heart raced; he really couldn’t be sure if the other three freaks were there.

After a while, a loud voice like a bell came from one of the houses, “Is that you, Old Second? Old Eldest and Old Third are playing chess. Neither of them is very skilled, but their levels are about the same, and they are locked in a fierce battle. It’s quite interesting, so come quickly.”

Hearing this, both Zhu Que and Quan Zhenyi felt relieved

Quan Zhenyi held up Zhu Que and jogged to the room where they were playing chess. He saw the two of them deeply focused on the chessboard, one playing and the other observing, neither looking up, let alone noticing the person in his arms.

Quan Zhengyi didn’t say a word, stepped forward, and kicked the chessboard away, causing the three to erupt in anger and get up together. Before they could speak, Quan Zhengyi had already laid Zhu Que flat on the table.

The Four Immortals of Penglai, in addition to the second brother, Quan Zhenyi, were the eldest, Meng Jizhu, the third, Du Jinglun, and the fourth, Lu Chunlin.

Meng Jizhu was just about to scold Quan Zhenyi harshly, but when he saw him bringing in a patient, he held back for the time being. However, he was already so angry that his mustache was twitching.

Old Third Du Jinglun was the most composed, yet he couldn’t help but say, “This person must have an extraordinary background. Old Second, who is this person? Why did you bring him here? Why not treat him somewhere else? Why bring him to my chess room?”

Old Fourth Lu Chunlin was just an observer of the game. He chuckled and said, “It must be that Old Second couldn’t cure the patient, so he came to us for help.”

Quan Zhenyi nodded slightly and said, “Old Fourth is right. I really can’t cure it. Don’t you all know where I’m headed on this trip?'”

Old Eldest Meng Jizhu interjected and asked, “So, have you finished dealing with the Fragrance Cult? I haven’t heard that the Fragrance Cult was challenged. You wouldn’t come home without finishing your business; that’s not your style. Is this person a big shot in the Fragrance Cult?”

Quan Zhenyi said, “Pfft, pfft, pfft, this person is chivalrous and unparalleled, renowned worldwide. Why don’t you guess who he is?'”

Old Third Du Jinglun said, “If it weren’t for his sickly appearance, I would definitely guess he is Zhu Que.”

Quan Zhenyi said, “That’s right, he is Zhu Que.”

They were startled and gathered around, looking at Zhu Que from left to right.

Lu Chunlin said in surprise, “With his skills, he could end up in such a situation. Is the Fragrance Cult really that powerful?”

Quan Zhenyi explained the situation to him, including Zhu Que’s injuries, which required several people to work together to help him disperse his true energy and cultivate new strength.

Old Eldest was silent for a moment and said, “Given his usual behavior, it really is worth our intervention. However, if we proceed like this, all four of us will expend half of our internal energy, and whether we can recover before next year’s competition with our old rival is uncertain.”

Old Third Du Jinglun said, “Zengzi said one can entrust a six-foot orphan, can entrust a life for a hundred miles mission, but when facing a great moral test, one cannot be swayed. This person is a gentleman. Our competition is merely a small matter; I agree with Old Second. Old Fourth, what do you think?”

Old Fourth Lu Chunlin said, “You all know that I have always cherished life. Everything that grows can only be supported; I cannot stand by and watch them die. I agree to provide treatment.”

The three looked at Meng Jizhu, who said, “Alright, alright, hurry up and treat him. I still want to play a good chess game with Old Third; I was clearly about to win that last round.”

Old Third Du Jinglun said, “To carry Mount Tai and surpass the North Sea, this cannot be done, not because it is impossible; to break a branch for an old man, this is not done, not because it cannot be done.'”

Old Eldest Meng Jizhu said, “What? Are you saying I’m old, my chess skills are lacking, and you’re going easy on me? Pfft, pfft, pfft.”

Zhu Que heard that the Four Immortals of Penglai would treat his injuries, each sacrificing half of their true energy. His heart was truly torn between heaven and man; he had no ties to these four, so how could he bear such a great favor? He was also an expert and understood how difficult it was to accumulate true energy. However, if he didn’t let them heal him, he would be a cripple for life. But recalling his master’s earnest teachings, he knew he must not harm others for his own benefit. Moreover, these were revered hermit masters akin to deities. How could he possibly bear such kindness?

As the eldest and the third were still arguing about whose chess skills were superior, Zhu Que suddenly said, “I don’t want you to treat me anymore.”

Qian Zhenyi said, ‘What? If we don’t treat you, no one else in the world can help you return to normal.'”

Zhu Que endured the intense pain in his body and said, “You expend your true energy to save me, a mere mortal; I truly do not deserve such sacrifice from you.”

Meng Jizhu said, “It’s nothing really. The loss of true energy can be regained with more practice. If we don’t treat you, you could end up disabled for life, and that’s a significant difference. Moreover, you have always prioritized chivalry and helping others, so treating you is also a virtuous deed.”

Just now, he was hesitant, but upon hearing that Zhu Que would rather not be treated than see them harmed, he was moved and began to persuade Zhu Que instead.

Old Third  Du Jinglun also said, “What you say has the chivalrous spirit of Mozi, who believes that benefiting others is paramount while harming others should be avoided. However, Mozi also said that to love others is to love oneself; one must be included in the love for others. If you do not plan for yourself, how can you act chivalrously? Our rescuing you is equivalent to indirectly helping others.”

But Zhu Que thought the four would exhaust half their life’s true energy and simply wouldn’t allow it. The eldest, Meng Jizhu, became anxious and said, “Your current situation is like a poor person who has spent all their wealth. We are all wealthy; we want to give you money, and you cannot refuse. You need to be able to repay it later. Old Second, no need to say more; let’s prepare to take action.”

As Quan Zhenyi began to prepare, he explained the trick of channeling energy to the other three. Old Third Du Jinglun, seeing that Zhu Que did not want to accept their great favor, advised, “You are like a sword we use to kill bad people. If the sword becomes dull, it’s not a loss for us to spend some effort sharpening it.”

Zhu Que signaled again to refuse, but unfortunately, his body was weak and unable to resist.

They sat cross-legged at the table, with Zhu Que having no support and unable to sit steadily, leaning back as if to fall. Quan Zhenyi placed a palm on Zhu Que’s back at the vital point, continuously channeling internal energy into him. Then, Old Fourth pressed a palm against Zhu Que’s Qi Sea point, releasing internal energy. Then, Old Eldest and Old Third each took one of Zhu Que’s hands, guiding their internal energy into his palms.

Initially, the four’s internal energy flowed into Zhu Que’s body, coursing through all one hundred and eight vital points with the force of a raging wind sweeping away leaves, dispersing the residual true energy within Zhu Que. Then, the internal strength surged like a stream flowing into the sea, gradually transforming into a rushing river, gathering in Zhu Que’s dantian energy sea. Due to the differing directions of the four individuals’ internal energy, the converging energies spiraled within Zhu Que’s energy sea, forming a rapidly spinning vortex. At this point, the four no longer needed to input their internal energy actively; it was naturally drawn into Zhu Que’s body.

The internal energy of these four was accumulating increasingly, mobilizing the entire network of Zhu Que and generating a new source of inner power.

When the inner energy entered his body, Zhu Que felt like he was caught in a torrent, his whole being uncontrollably rising and falling, swaying left and right. In reality, he seemed like a clay statue or stone carving, entirely still under the siege of the four, while all the unsteady swaying he experienced was merely an illusion caused by the inner energy.

Soon, there was a pain in the dantian like a knife cutting through fire; when the pain reached its peak, it felt like all the muscles in the body were uncontrollably trembling. Then, everything went dark before his eyes, and he fainted.

However, the fainting did not last long before he was awakened by pain. It felt like all the meridians in his body were being stretched continuously, then rapidly shrinking. A mix of soreness, swelling, numbness, itching, heat, and cold played out in a cycle of various pains. Even in hell, it seemed there was no such torment.

In fact, the four inputted their true energy for only half an hour, but Zhu Que felt as if it had been ten years.

Sweat beads the size of beans oozed from his skin, carrying an indescribable stench while four streams of internal energy continued to surge within him. Ultimately, they split into two paths, clashing on either side of his chest, but it felt as if a wall was obstructing their convergence in the middle, causing the internal energy on both sides to intensify continuously.

Finally, the wall seemed unable to withstand the impact of this powerful internal force and was pierced through, creating a hole where four streams of internal energy converged into one.

During this time, Zhu Que remained clear-minded, knowing that the four were healing him out of goodwill. Therefore, no matter how painful it was, he endured. However, when the internal energy from the four merged within his chest and abdomen, he could no longer help but let out a long howl to the heavens, unable to contain himself.

Hearing Zhu Que’s howl, the Four Immortals of Penglai could no longer hold on, collapsing onto the table and gasping for breath, but they were filled with immense joy in their hearts.

The internal injuries of Zhu Que not only healed but also gained half of each of the four’s internal energy. It could be said that in terms of internal energy cultivation, he had almost reached an unprecedented level. Moreover, the conflict of the four’s internal energy within him further pierced through his Ren and Du meridians. The meeting of dragon and tiger, the harmony of water and fire, meant that Zhu Que’s internal energy would increase with each subsequent cultivation session, leading to an endless cycle of growth over time.

Zhu Que was exhausted, and Quan Zhenyi carried him into a room. Although his internal energy had already recovered, his physical injuries still required some time to heal. However, his internal energy could regenerate on its own, and with Quan Zhenyi’s precious elixirs, his external injuries would likely heal in just over ten days.

After more than ten days later, there was no trace of Zhu Que’s internal and external injuries.

That morning, Zhu Que came to the courtyard and practiced a set of martial arts, feeling that every punch and kick was just right. Using his lightness skill, he not only jumped higher than before but also breathed more easily in the air.

Next, he practiced a set of Cloud-Splitting Palms. With each strike, he felt his internal energy flowing freely, allowing him to concentrate his power and target a specific area. He aimed at a row of bamboo one yard away and struck; the bamboo seemed to bend as if blown by a strong wind. Although it didn’t break, he was already very satisfied.

The gratitude Zhu Que felt towards the Four Immortals of Penglai was beyond words. After being injured, he even had thoughts of ending his life, but now he had not only recovered but was also far stronger than before. His appreciation was even deeper than the grace of being reborn.

Zhu Que bowed to each of the four, and they did not refuse, but their gazes seemed to reflect how parents look at their children.

Quan Zhenyi said, “I have exhausted too much energy. As for the Fragrance Cult, I’ll take a break and not inquire about it. You handle it well for me, and don’t let me down.”

Zhu Que nodded in agreement and suddenly remembered something, saying, “I heard that Taoist Masters’ rival would come next year. If you need my help, just give me a word.”

Quan Zhenyi said, “This is our own matter, and it’s inconvenient for outsiders to get involved. Rest assured, with the strength of us, is there anything in the world that can trouble us? You should hurry back; otherwise, as the influence of the Fragrance Cult grows, it will become increasingly difficult to contain.”

Zhu Que bowed to them before leaving.