Return of the Blossoming Blade — Chapter 181

AHA!

IT'S HOLDING!

THEN THE LEGENDS OF THE MILLENNIUM STEEL ARE PROVEN TRUE! AS PAPER-THIN AS IT APPEARS, IT IS ENDURING THE FULL EXTENT OF MY QI!

OUTSTANDING!

THIS WILL DO VERY NICELY INDEED, SECT LEADER!

WE HAVE EVERYTHING WE NEED TO CRAFT THE PRIMORDIAL-- I MEAN, THE VIOLET SKY PELLETS!

ALL OUR EFFORTS SHALL BE REWARDED AT LAST...

REJOICE, BROTHERS...! OUR ANCESTORS ARE SMILING UPON US!

ANCESTORS, MY BLOSSOMING BEHIND. IT TOOK ME AN ENTIRE NIGHT OF BASHING THAT SOLID HUNK OF METAL WITH MY FISTS WHILE YOU IDLERS SLEPT SOUNDLY IN YOUR BEDS.

ALTHOUGH I SUPPOSE...

...I'M SOMETHING OF AN ANCESTOR MYSELF.

CAN WE PLEASE GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD...?

Episode 175

NOW TO ADD THE ESSENCE OF GOLDEN SPIRIT FRUIT...

...SOUL DESCENT WATER...

...AND AN ENTIRE JAR OF THE PUREST MORNING DEW...!

LET US COMMENCE, GENTLEMEN!

HYEONSANG!

ON IT, BROTHER SECT LEADER!

THERE WE HAVE IT, BROTHERS! JUST SO!

THIS IS THE IDEAL SIMMER!

WE NEED ONLY TO KEEP THIS UP!

FOR HOW LONG?

ONLY ABOUT TEN DAYS OR SO, SECT LEADER!

EXCELLENT! LET US GET TO IT--

HOW MANY DAYS NOW?

H-HOLD ON A MOMENT!

HAD I KNOWN IT WOULD TAKE SO LONG, I WOULD HAVE HAD US TAKE A COMFORT BREAK FIRST AT THE VERY LEAST...!

TOO LATE NOW, SECT LEADER! ONCE THE PROCESS HAS BEGUN, IT CANNOT BE HALTED!

YOU BETTER HOLD ON TIGHT FOR THE NEXT TEN DAYS!

OUR DISCIPLES CAN TAKE OVER FROM TIME TO TIME, BUT ONLY FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS AT A PUSH!

I SUGGEST YOU CIRCULATE YOUR INNER QI WITH MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY TO MINIMIZE LEAKAGE AND KEEP UP THE OUTPUT FOR THE NEXT TEN DAYS!

IT IS NOT MY QI I AM WORRIED ABOUT LEAKING! ESPECIALLY AT MY AGE...!

I BELIEVE IN YOU, LORD SECT LEADER!

BESIDES, IF ANYTHING, IT IS THE LACK OF SLEEP YOU OUGHT TO WORRY ABOUT!

IN ANY CASE, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, ELDERS! SOME OF YOU MAY DIE, BUT THAT IS A SACRIFICE I AM WILLING TO MAKE!

WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!

I'M JUST SAYING, SECT LEADER, I'LL MAKE SURE TO TELL THEM THAT YOU DIED DOING WHAT I LOVED MOST... STIRRING THE POT!

YOU GET BACK HERE, RIGHT THIS INSTANT!

ARE THE INGREDIENTS THE ONLY THING YOU CARE ABOUT?! THIS IS EXPLOITATION OF ELDER LABOR, PLAIN AND SIMPLE!

AND SO, THE FIRST DAY OF CRAFTING DREW TO A CLOSE...

..THEN TWO...

...THREE...

...FIVE...

...A WEEK...

...UNTIL THE NINTH DAY.

YOU CANNOT LET YOUR INNER QI FALTER, SECT LEADER!

WE HAVE A TEMPERATURE TO MAINTAIN!

LORD SECT LEADER!

ELDERS, PLEASE!

W-WE CANNOT AFFORD TO SLACKEN, NOT NOW...!

WE CAN REST... WHEN WE ARE DEAD...!

THIS MUST BE DONE...!

AT ALL COSTS...!

UN-GAK... HOW MUCH LONGER MUST WE PERSIST...?

ONLY A DAY NOW, SECT LEADER.

A-A DAY HAS NEVER FELT SO LONG...

COME NOW, SECT LEADER! LET US HAVE NO MORE OF YOUR WHINING!

YOU TOO, BROTHER! SAY AH!

AND IF YOU TRULY FEEL THAT YOU ARE ON DEATH'S DOOR, MIGHT I REMIND YOU HOW THINGS WERE ONLY THREE YEARS AGO? WE COULD SCARCELY AFFORD THIS BOWL OF PORRIDGE, LET ALONE A MYTHICAL PANACEA!

I WOULD RATHER STIR THAT POT FOR A THOUSAND DAYS THAN BE PENNILESS ON THE STREETS!

HE'S OUT OF LINE, BUT HE'S RIGHT...!

AS ARDUOUS AS THE JOURNEY MAY BE, THIS IS OUR BID FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE!

IT IS NOTHING COMPARED TO THE BITTER STRUGGLE OF HAVING TO BORROW A COIN OR TWO EACH DAY JUST TO BUY GRAINS FOR OUR DISCIPLES!

SUCCESS IS OUR ONLY OPTION!

THIS MAY WELL BE MY LAST DAY ON EARTH, BUT THE PANACEA MUST BE COMPLETED FIRST!

ONE MORE DAY, BROTHERS!

WE NEED ONLY TO HOLD FAST FOR ANOTHER DAY!

INDEED...! WHAT IS A DAY BUT A FLEETING MOMENT?!

AFTER THESE NINE LONG DAYS, ONE MORE WILL PASS IN AN INSTANT!

WITHOUT DOUBT, SOMETHING IS COMING TOGETHER...

THE MIXTURE'S AROMA GROWS THICKER,

WHILE THE INITIAL INGREDIENTS HAVE DISINTEGRATED INTO A SHAPELESS MUSH...

A DEEP, INVITING SCENT...

THE FRAGRANCE OF PURITY...

...AND BLISSFUL--

LORD SECT LEADER!

YOUR INNER QI OUTPUT IS WANING!

BY THE ANCESTORS...

HAVING FUN THERE, SECT LEADER?

?

CARE FOR A TREAT?

DO YOU TAKE ME FOR CATTLE OF SOME KIND?

AND MUST YOU SIT AROUND IDLY WHEN YOU CLEARLY HAVE PRECIOUS LITTLE INTENTION OF TAKING OVER ON OUR BEHALF?

OF COURSE HE MUST!

WHY WOULD WE NOT WANT HIM WITH US, BROTHER SECT LEADER?!

LET US NOT MINCE WORDS HERE. HOW DID THINGS TURN OUT FOR US BACK IN THE DAY WHEN WE ONLY HAD OURSELVES AND THAT QUACK UN-GAK TO RELY UPON?

WE SQUANDERED ALL OUR MONEY AND THEN SOME!

BE THAT AS IT MAY, DO YOU SEE THE BOY AIDING US IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM?!

WHY, HE IS HELPING US AS OUR LUCKY CHARM!

THERE IS A REASON WHY AFFLUENT HOUSEHOLDS ALWAYS HAVE A GOLDEN TOAD IN THEIR HOME... TO INVITE WEALTH!

I SAY YOUNG CHEONGMYEONG HERE IS OUR GOLDEN TOAD, SO TO SPEAK, AND I WILL NOT HAVE ANY OF YOU JINX THE ENDEAVOR BY SENDING HIM AWAY!

HEAR, HEAR!

NOT TO CRITICIZE, CHIEF PHYSICIAN, BUT I NOTICED YOUR HANDS SLOWING DOWN A TOUCH.

AND WHILE WE ARE AT IT, YOUR QI OUTPUT COULD BE HIGHER, LORD SECT LEADER. NO TREAT FOR YOU!

I-IS THAT SO?

UHH...

HUH?!

TH-THE PADDLE WON'T BUDGE...!

ARGH! M-MY ARMS!!!

THEY'RE SEIZING UP! SOMEBODY TAKE OVER!

WH-WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

SHALL I ROUSE ONE OF YOUR FELLOWS FROM THE UN LINE OF DISCIPLES?!

MY PEERS SIMPLY WILL NOT DO, ELDER! WE NEED SOMEBODY WITH A DEEPER RESERVE OF QI!

THEN ALLOW ME TO STEP UP AND DO MY PART!

I SAID SOMEONE WITH A DEEPER QI RESERVE, NOT A DEEPER COIN PURSE!

IS NO ONE ELSE UP TO THE TASK?!

N-NO!

MY ARMS ARE AS STIFF AS A PLANK!

SOMEBODY! ANYBODY!

SAVE THE PRECIOUS INGREDIENTS!

FINE!

IF A FEW DAYS OF HARD WORK IS TOO MUCH FOR YOU ALL, THEN LET ME GIVE IT A TRY!

WH-WHAT DO YOU KNOW... ABOUT HARD WORK...?

URGH...

U-UN-GAK!

GAH...!

HYEONSANG!

S-SO CLOSE...!

BROTHERS! NOOO!

WHO WILL TAKE UP THE STIRRING PADDLE NOW?!

WITH LESS THAN A DAY LEFT TO GO, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE PRIMORDIAL PANACEA PELLETS...?

IS THIS THE END OF OUR SECT'S GRAND AMBITIONS...?

NOT AFTER THE HELL WE WENT THROUGH TO GATHER THIS POT FULL OF CRAP!

I'D RATHER DIE THAN LET IT ALL BE IN VAIN!

AS A WISE MAN ONCE SAID, GET RICH OR DIE TRYING!!!

W-WELL SAID, CHEONGMYEONG! SPOKEN LIKE A TRUE PROFITEER-- I MEAN, PRODIGY OF OUR SECT!!!

AT A GLANCE, IT MAY SEEM AS THOUGH THE INGREDIENTS ARE EVENLY MIXED, BUT PARTS OF THE MIXTURE CONTAIN TOO MUCH OF ONE INGREDIENT AND TOO LITTLE OF ANOTHER.

THE MEDICINE WILL NOT BIND UNLESS THE INGREDIENTS ARE EVENLY DISPERSED THROUGHOUT.

SUCH PRECISION IS A GIVEN WHEN IT COMES TO A MEDICINE LIKE THE PRIMORDIAL PANACEA PELLET!

ONCE AGAIN, IT FALLS ON LITTLE OLD CHEONGMYEONG TO SAVE THE DAY! TIME TO FINISH THIS!

THE IMMORTAL PHYSICIAN'S FORMULA FOR THE PRIMORDIAL PANACEA PELLET EMBODIES THE PINNACLE OF FLAWLESS HARMONY, UPON WHICH I MUST ADD MY OWN QI...

...THE PUREST AND MOST REFINED ENERGY OF ALL!

BY THE BLOSSOMS... IS THIS IT?!

HMM?

WHAT IS THIS PLACE...?

SOOTHING RAYS OF SUN AMIDST A VERDANT FOREST...

A GENTLE STREAM FLOWING THROUGH THE COOL EARTH...

THIS MUST BE THE PERFECT HARMONY THE ANCIENTS SPOKE OF... A TRUE MANIFESTATION OF THE FIVE ELEMENTS...!

DID WE SOMEHOW REACH ENLIGHTENMENT WHILE CRAFTING THE PANACEA...?

THE FIVE ELEMENTS, SECT LEADER? WATER, FIRE, WOOD, METAL, EARTH... ARE WE NOT MISSING THE ELEMENT OF METAL?

INDEED NOT! LOOK AROUND YOU, UN-GAK!

DO YOU NOT SEE THAT ALL THIS HARMONY IS BUT THE CONTENTS OF A GIANT METAL POT?

WH-WHAT IS THAT, A GIANT FINGER?!

CHEONGMYEONG?! IT'S YOUNG CHEONGMYEONG, SECT LEADER!

CHEONGMYEONG!

OVER HEEEERE!!!

PRIMORDIAL PANA-SAVE US!!!

DID I FALL UNCONSCIOUS DURING THE CRAFTING PROCESS...?

I SEEM TO BE ALIVE, AT THE VERY LEAST...

H-HOW IS THE MEDICINE COMING ALONG...?

THE PRI-- NO, THE VIOLET SKY PELLETS...

I-I REMEMBER THIS DEEP, HARMONIOUS FRAGRANCE FROM MY DREAM...!

IT CAME FROM THE MEDICINE POT, THEN! WAS THE CRAFTING PROCESS A SUCCESS?!

IS OUR WORK COMPLETE?!

SECT LEADER...

I'M AFRAID I HAVE ILL TIDINGS TO REPORT.