Book 16 Chapter 12

The Third Water Pipe (水火關)

The "Fire" and "Water" tubes are simultaneously tied together to form the "Water Fire Tube".

We found out that morning that it was going to happen.

It was a unilateral notice, and I was not in a position to respond to it.

But that doesn't mean he doesn't have questions, and when asked if he'd like to ask them, Yoon quickly raised his hand, which was very brave of him.

"Why is Hua's coffin and Shui's coffin going on at the same time, is there some special reason?"

Although he was embarrassed to ask the question in front of so many people, he felt that it was much better than remaining ignorant.

"Do you want to know why?"

The master of ceremonies answered. He introduced himself as Shaoguang, and appeared to be in his mid-fifties, with an imposing bearing. The five rosaries on his sleeve suggested that he was a man of considerable status among the rulers here, and perhaps that's why his demeanor was stiffer than the others.

"Yes!"

Yoon didn't hesitate to answer.

"Then choose!"

"Choose?"

"I'm asking you to choose between a seemingly plausible reason and a not-so-plausible reason!"

He had a look on his face like he was asking for the obvious. Yun Junho couldn't help but feel dumbfounded.

"Old man, I'd like to hear a good reason first!"

"Have you ever heard of the Heaven and Earth? Heaven is the sky, dry and yang, and earth is the ground, wet and yin. But that's only in the first eight chapters; in the second eight chapters, yin and yang are usually represented by the words 'fire' and 'water'. Have you ever heard of the phrase 'water fire non-repellent' or the phrase 'great waiting'?"

"I've never heard of it."

Yoon shook his head honestly.

"A martial artist who's supposed to be a master of qi doesn't know such a basic thing… Are you really a martial artist?"

Wahahahahaha!

Laughter erupted here and there. It came from some people who usually looked down on him. Yun Junho's face turned bright red with embarrassment.

"Raise your hand if you just laughed!"

Several people raised their hands at Xiao Guang's words. Most of them were from the Know-It-or-Don't-Know Heavenly Martial Hall, and a few from the Heavenly Pavilion.

"That's a good sneer, my boy, and I'm sure there's someone among them who can answer my question."

No one answered. Silence reigned.

"What, you just laughed at someone who didn't deserve to be laughed at? Good for you for not knowing the numbers."

This time, it was the turn of those who raised their hands to turn bright red.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, you can't even stand up for your fellow man, yet you sneer at him……. Do you mean to tell me that the quality of the volcanic conclave has deteriorated to the point that a shameful human being would participate?"

A stunned silence settled over the room, and a few of us struggled to hold in our bubbling anger and shame.

"The phrase 'water and fire' means that water and fire rely on each other without penetrating each other. Of course, in 'water-fire', water presses on fire, but fire does not attack water in turn. Instead, the fire presses on the gold. In turn, gold presses against throat, throat presses against puke, and puke presses against Su. And again, the water presses the fire, completing the circle. These seemingly opposites are harmoniously placed within the same cycle.

Furthermore, while the yin and yang of the Eight Innate Elements are represented by 'dryness', the yin and yang of the Eight Lateral Elements, which are the phenomenal world, are represented by 'sensation'. The contrast between 'separation' and 'sensation' is nature, and the contrast between 'separation' and 'sensation' is nature, which is 'water'. It is not far-fetched to say that Su and Hua symbolize the yin and yang of the phenomenal world.

Yin and Yang cannot exist apart. Yin and Yang are only yin and yang when they are stuck together. Facing each other and relying on each other is called 'battalion'. This is why it is possible to test both of them on a single subject, as they are inextricably linked. In this case, qi can be used to represent anger and the integration of it can be represented by water. Yang is the quality of change, and yin is the quality of gathering and merging. It's like many streams coming together to form one big river!"

His explanations flowed like water. His explanations flowed as if he were reading from a prepared speech, but few understood the whole story.

"So… why isn't that plausible?"

This time, it was Bi Ryuyeon who asked. His instinctive hunch was that this was probably closer to the truth. And the answer came back. Very bluntly.

"It's just a pain in the ass! Why not just do both at once? No need to work twice, one less gateway. It's a very economical idea, don't you think? It's so artistic, it's thrilling."

Xiao Guang seemed genuinely touched, but his answer was a flimsy reason that would not disappoint Bi Ryuyeon.

"Are you sure that's all……?"

I'd be lying if I said I didn't have an "Oh, no…" moment. But the owner of this stately home has delivered the final blow to any lingering doubts.

"What other reason do I need, that's it, that's enough!"

It was a confirmed kill.

"Then I'll tell you about the progress of the main conduit!"

Ignoring the murmurs, Xiao Guang went about his business. He didn't want to make it a topic of conversation anymore. But the way he was doing it was also controversial. It was forcing participants to make choices that were harder than they could have imagined.

"No way, I can't do this, no way!"

"How can I trust these people with my back, it's suicide!"

"That's what we say! We'd rather die than join forces with you, ship!"

After saying that, one of the men fell to the floor in a heap. This phenomenon was not limited to this group, but also occurred in other groups at the same time.

The noise was predictably loud; without faith, everyone's worries are bound to prevail. On the other hand, the possibility of a sneak attack was entirely possible. But the ruler's response to this was unrelenting, his demeanor unflinching.

"Then I'll count it a loss. I don't have any points to give to those who don't participate!"

The words were tinged with bitterness.

In a situation where they had no control, they had to be prepared. It was forced, but they had no choice.

But there were still a few who were stubborn.

"Are you crazy? I can't do this! I have to go through this gateway with these guys… Is there anything more horrible in the world? I flatly refuse."

Wei Zichen shouted in an angry voice, his disgustingly strong rejection unmistakable. How others viewed him didn't seem to matter to him. He was like a pampered child who threw a tantrum if he didn't get his way.

"But you know full well that if everyone in the group doesn't participate, you're disqualified."

Hyo-ryong carefully spoke up and tried to calm him down. Even though he was an asshole and unlikable, if he was left alone, Group 7 would be disqualified. He had to stop that from happening.

"This is crazy, why don't you give up early?"

"You can't do that."

"Yes, sir," Hyorong replied in a firm voice. The others, including Bi Ryuyeon and Obi-Wan, watched as the two argued. They didn't want to intervene, as it would only escalate the situation further. Obi-Wan, however, did not bother to hide the displeasure on his face; he was a man of conviction, albeit from the Black Isles, and he was like an elder brother to all the others in the Order, even those who worshipped nothingness. To him, the sight of Wei Zichen could not be a good one. Of course, this gateway had the potential to be outrageously dangerous. There was no way that he wouldn't feel uncomfortable in this water pipe. But he couldn't just give up on the volcanic competition, especially since he'd been disqualified in the golden tube, and Group 7 was far behind. If they couldn't close the gap now, they would never be able to.

"That young man, Hyo-ryong, seems to be well aware of that fact.

He could tell at a glance that Hyorong had never had good feelings for Yu Zichen. He never called him senior, despite Yu Zichen's higher seniority. It was the same with his friend Bi Ryuyeon. However, it was only because he knew that fact all too well that he was still trying to convince her. Meanwhile, he was getting a strange feeling every time he looked at Hyo Long.

'Have I met that young man before somewhere…….'

I didn't feel like I was looking at a stranger. It was like we had met somewhere before.

"Think again. You don't think you're going to give up the volcanic ash here, do you? There isn't a woman in the world who would like a man like that, and I'm sure you're well aware of that."

Finally, Hyo-Ryong drew his secret sword, and the effect was instantaneous.

"Okay, let's do it!"

Apparently this was the main persuasion.

"Thank you."

"But on one condition!"

Yu Zichen said with a serious face.

"That is absolutely impossible!"

A firm reply came back. But it wasn't Bi Ryuyeon who answered. Instead, it was Hyorong, who was now furious. He had never imagined that Wei Zichen would make such an outrageous demand.

"Why not, are you saying you're going to go against your own words?"

"You can't do that!"

Hyo-ryong's answer was unwavering, and he seemed to be even more excited than his guest, Bi Ryuyeon.

"You're just saying no without giving me a good reason, I could refuse to take this hydrant's test, and you know how risky that is, don't you?"

"Well, that's……."

That's right. This time, the challenge was beyond anyone's imagination. The method was surprisingly simple. They didn't cross over a fire of bubbling lava or climb a waterfall, even though they could have, but they didn't. Instead, it took them to the north, in front of a craggy wall of rock. The black, polished rock looked very solid.

The process was surprisingly simple. Everyone in the group combines their efforts to break the rock wall. The teams are ranked by the biggest and deepest break. If one person refuses to participate, the group is disqualified.

However, despite this being a fairly straightforward set-up, the reason why there were so many complaints and strong rejections from all the groups was because of the "toss-up" part.

Passed the Qigong Competition……. In a nutshell, it was a chi maneuver that gathered the power of several people - the best of all, if you put your minds together - and unleashed a power many times greater than normal. However, the problem was not as simple as it seemed.

Although chi comes from one source, it has different properties depending on how it is practiced and applied. This is called 'differentiated qi'. In the same way, the five elements come from yin and yang, but have different properties than yin and yang. It's not easy to bring them back together once they've been separated. They don't mix well. It's not an exaggeration to say that it's almost impossible to do so unless you understand the principles of yin and yang, symbiosis and antagonism, and the flow of the cycle. It's not just a matter of injecting qigong into someone's body. On the contrary, it's easier to perform therapeutic acupuncture using chi. In this case, there are no major side effects. However, taking in other people's chi, converting it back into your own power, and releasing it is not an easy task. If you make a mistake, you may not be able to fuse it, and the remaining chi will be repulsed and you may fall into a coin-op. The healing nature of ki is soft and slow, while offensive ki is strong, fast, and powerful, making it harder to control.

This is why it was customary to practice the art of the inner circle only amongst those who had mastered the same martial art within the same school, and who trusted each other enough to risk their own lives; to do so with a group of strangers who had never met before, and who were from different schools, and who were snarling at each other, was, in their eyes, tantamount to asking them to commit suicide together.

It cannot and should not be done without mutual "trust," for it is a shortcut to samsara.

Also, one of the important points in this act was that the person with the greatest ability should be in the first position, that is, the one who had the ability to collect the inner energy of the rest and release it in a certain direction. The rest were almost conduits, and the same conduits, but of increasingly greater skill as they went forward. But the difference between the difficulty of the second and the first was tenfold. To be in the front was to bear the entire risk.

It was all about how much of his own internal energy he could release with the least amount of loss. While total power was important, simply receiving unusable chi was not only wasteful, but dangerous.

Receiving chi beyond one's capabilities was a risky proposition, not only for the coin, but also for one's entire body, which could burst a vein and cause death if done incorrectly.

But right now, Wei Zichen was demanding that Bi Ryuyeon stand in her place, but that was still within the bounds of acceptability.

"You're not unaware of the dangers of the inner circle, are you? I think it's a good idea to nominate Bi Ryuyeon for the most dangerous spot among them, because now there should be far fewer people who doubt his abilities than before, although there will still be many who want to ignore him. But that doesn't mean I can put you in the second spot behind him!"

Yes! Wei Zichen had nominated himself to take the position behind Bi Ryuyeon. This was unacceptable to Hyorong, who had a vague idea of what was going on between them. He knew how dangerous it was. It was far better to trust the honor of a passing dog than to trust the honor of Wei Jintian, who had been unable to keep his tremblers away from him without trying. In this case, he trusted his instincts. He did not trust a man whose eyes were clouded with jealousy to judge with sound reason.

Certainly, compared to the danger of this gateway, which involves a hollow passage, the Mokyokan, which involves a tug-of-war, or the Geumyokan, which involves tying ropes to each other and climbing a cliff, are child's play. I might as well have done a hundred more of those kinds of things before I tried this gateway. Most people who were forced to participate in this test were willing to trade one for the other. These unusual and unorthodox tests were out of the question.

But from the test organizers' point of view, the abnormal and esoteric are inherently attractive. What they needed was not a culprit who was comfortable within the confines of normalcy and common sense; such a person would be of no use to the current powerhouse. What they wanted was an extraordinary talent and the ability to work together to overcome extraordinary circumstances.

For this reason, they must have been satisfied with the content and organization of the gateway, and so it was encouraged, not discouraged.

Knowing that it was a risky endeavor, Hyorong wanted to do whatever he could to reduce the likelihood of an accident. Placing Wei Zichen behind Bi Ryuyeon was like carrying a bomb.

"Okay, if it comes down to that, let's ask the party, your cowardly friend."

Wei Zichen looked back at Bi Ryuyeon and said. He had to struggle to calm his anger for now.

"You seem to be afraid of this man standing behind you, is that so? Are you so afraid of that fact? It's a real disappointment that you're such a coward, but I was going to think more highly of you!"

It was a clear and blatant provocation, using names and words I would never normally use.

"You're not going to fall for that, are you?

Knowing that this was where his friend's head was going, Hyo-ryong believed that Bi Ryuyeon would never fall for such a dangerous and reckless provocation. Yeah, because she's not an idiot…….

"Great!"

I was an idiot.

"Yeah, that's a good idea… what, what?"

Hyorong's head snapped around and he looked at Bi Ryuyeon with wide eyes.

"Are you serious?"

"Of course! He's begging for it, and I'm not going to give it to him, so I'm going to say yes. I have a big heart."

With no hesitation or fear in her voice, Bi Ryuyeon replied. Wei Zichen, who had never clenched his hair or ejaculated before, nearly lost his clothes.

"Ryuyeon, what are you going to do, are you sure you're okay?"

Hyo-Ryong asked in a whisper.

"Don't worry. It's nothing. Nothing's going to happen."

"Could it be… you're the only one who believes that? To respond to such a dangerous provocation……. This is sending a message unlike any other. You don't know what could happen, and it's dangerous even to those of your own order. Do you realize that?"

"Well, just keep an eye on her. With so many of them, she'll want to win, won't she?"

"There are many ways to ruin a person's body, and sending too much energy is one of them. Besides, you're the first, and all the rest of the group's energy flows into you. With a little maneuvering, he could easily accomplish his goal of messing with you."

Hyo-Ryong's assessment of the situation was correct, which only deepened his concern.

"We'll see. If it does happen, I'll be sure to let you know at……."

She adds briefly.

"He'll learn that everything has responsibilities and costs. And that sometimes that price is quite high."