It Wasn’t a Martial Arts World, but the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 94: The Renowned Physician (2)

As soon as I opened my eyes, I prepared to go outside.

Lying around every day made my body ache, and I couldn’t stand being idle any longer.

When I told Lü Bu about this, she initially yelled in protest, but eventually, she reluctantly agreed.

So, today, I was training with Lü Bu.

Although we couldn’t engage in anything grand like sparring, I was satisfied with just practicing my forms.

I stepped outside.

Currently, I couldn’t perform the Heavenly Extreme Linked Illusion Seven Techniques.

To use martial arts, the unification of internal and external skills was necessary.

Nevertheless, martial arts were ultimately useless without the foundation of external skills, no matter how strong one’s internal skills were.

It was like trying to plant seeds in barren soil—nothing would sprout.

So, I trained my external skills within a reasonable limit.

Instead of a heavy sword, I picked up my cane and slowly thrust it forward.

A quick sword isn’t necessarily the best.

Sometimes, moving slowly allows you to see things you would otherwise miss.

It’s important to feel each muscle and understand how my body is applied.

As my arm extended slowly, I felt strength in my waist and legs.

I closed my eyes simultaneously.

The Dokbi Acupoint had mostly recovered.

Now, about ten acupoints remained.

Once they all healed, I could finally stand at the starting point of achieving a complete transformation.

I continued to move my arm.

I could feel my internal energy growing explosively.

The internal energy of a martial artist who has reached Peak is indeed different from that of an ordinary First-rate fighter.

Finally, I opened my eyes.

In front of me, I saw a woman casually tapping her halberd on her shoulder.

“What are you doing?”

She asked, sounding bored.

Judging by her yawning, it seemed she had just woken up.

“Said you were feeling restless, but you’re like a kid playing around.”

I approached Lü Bu, who made such remarks.

Come to think of it, there was something I wanted to test.

“…What are you doing?”

I placed my hand on Yeo’s shoulder and turned her body.

“Try swinging your halberd.”

I then placed one hand on Lü Bu’s back.

“…Could you move your hand first?”

“Just do it.”

“Do I look like your pet?! Do you think I’ll just do what you say and bark when told?!”

“Tsk, fine, if you don’t want to.”

As I clicked my tongue in disappointment, Lü Bu scratched her head without turning around.

“So damn annoying…”

With that, Lü Bu took her stance and gripped her halberd.

– Whoooosh!

And when she swung the halberd, I opened my eyes wide.

To grasp the energy of a martial artist like Lü Bu required considerable concentration.

Last time, the pain made it hard to observe, but now it was clear.

Her qi was faint compared to mine.

Naturally, having accumulated qi for over ten years, it couldn’t compare.

However, her physical body was unimaginably strong, almost beyond comprehension.

Her body was so perfectly honed that it was hard to distinguish whether she was human or beast.

In other words, Lü Bu’s natural physique alone made her a martial artist far beyond Second-rate, perhaps even surpassing First-rate.

I’d guess she was in the later stages of First-rate.

But something else seemed odd.

Despite her weak qi, it was surprisingly well-ordered.

Furthermore, there was internal energy gathered in her dantian.

This was impossible unless one had specifically trained in qi regulation.

“…Yeo, have you ever tried to control your qi?”

“Huh?”

Lü Bu slung the halberd back onto her shoulder and looked at me.

From her furrowed brows, it seemed she couldn’t recall anything specific.

“Your qi is oddly well-organized. It’s polished enough to rival a martial artist’s. This usually wouldn’t happen unless you practiced techniques like circulation of qi.”

“…Ah.”

Lü Bu rubbed her chin, groaned, and then nodded.

“Come to think of it, after my first fight with you, I started meditating more frequently.”

“Meditating?”

“What’s there to meditation? Back then, you were so annoying that I did it to clear my head and calm my mind. Well, I was somewhat aware of this qi thing.”

“You were conscious of it?”

“Guess it stuck with me because you kept yapping about it.”

I see.

That explained why the Life-or-Death Duel felt so off.

I wasn’t a First-rate martial artist who recklessly boosted my internal energy with miraculous medicine.

I had diligently trained my mental state, internal energy, and external skills to reach my level, yet I was evenly matched with a non-martial artist like Lü Bu.

However, if Lü Bu had unconsciously awakened the circulation of qi, it made sense.

Given Lü Bu’s exceptional physique, what would happen if she could wield qi?

Even if she could just organize her disordered meridians?

She could very well become a human weapon.

Approaching it this way, Lü Bu was simply a monstrous woman.

“In that case, Yeo, would you be interested in learning seriously?”

When I asked, Lü Bu slammed her halberd into the ground.

“You mean your martial arts?”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t that something unique to you? Are you sure you want to teach it that easily?”

“We’re on the same side, aren’t we?”

I shrugged nonchalantly.

I’d tried to teach martial arts a few times before, but I hadn’t mentioned it in detail.

Lü Bu pursed her lips and looked off into the distance, scratching her head again.

“Tch, if you insist that much.”

“That was easy.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing.”

I never expected her to be this easy.

I smirked faintly and raised my cane.

This was perfect timing.

My body was in near-corpse condition right now.

In other words, trying anything related to martial arts myself wouldn’t yield any results.

So, I’d observe through someone else.

Having reached Peak, I could quickly replicate the techniques just by watching someone manage qi once.

And my subject was Lü Bu.

What better situation could there be?

Of course, I didn’t bother revealing this to her.

It felt… strangely satisfying.

It was like training a dog, leaving me with mixed feelings, but once I decided, I was committed.

I cleared my throat and spoke.

“Alright, take a seat.”

“Like this?”

Lü Bu plopped down without hesitation.

With my hand on her back, I slowly channeled qi.

Due to my injuries, I couldn’t transfer much internal energy, but just sensing it would be half the battle.

“The dantian is divided into the lower, middle, and upper dantian. Internal energy is accumulated in acupoints around the navel, such as Qi Sea, Stone Gate, and Conception Gate, to elevate one’s level. In your case, you should gather internal energy at Qi Sea, located about a finger-width below the navel. Close your eyes and focus.”

Following my instructions, Lü Bu closed her eyes.

“It’ll be difficult at first. No matter how strong you are, circulation of qi requires intense focus.”

“Less talking, just start. I can handle it.”

She had a good attitude.

That kind of fighting spirit could be a significant advantage for a martial artist.

I sent qi through her.

Lü Bu’s shoulders trembled slightly.

“Can you feel it? If so, you can respond in silence.”

“…”

Amazing.

It seemed she hadn’t lied about sensing qi during meditation.

I took a deep breath and channeled more internal energy.

“You’ll feel qi flowing inside. It naturally travels through the meridians, so remember the shape of your meridians.”

“…”

Lü Bu remained silent, confirming her focus.

Sweat began to form on her skin, showing her deep concentration.

I also watched closely as Lü Bu gathered qi in her dantian.

The birth of qi and the dantian—I could deepen my understanding of internal energy by witnessing this process.

How much time had passed?

Lü Bu was now drenched in sweat.

I, too, had nearly collapsed, drained of strength.

“…Damn it.”

“Pretty tough, isn’t it?”

“It’s nothing…”

“Doesn’t seem that way with all that sweat.”

“…D-Damn it!”

What the—why was she suddenly acting up?

Lü Bu rolled away dramatically, distancing herself from me.

“What are you doing?”

“Next time, I’m doing this alone! Don’t think of lending a hand anymore!”

“…?”

What’s gotten into her?

Anyway.

I felt sticky, so I wiped off the sweat with a cloth.

Lü Bu was standing behind a tree, out of sight.

It was then.

“U-Um…”

“Hm?”

The face was familiar.

It was the girl who had brought the sick child and his mother yesterday.

She was sweating just as much as we were, with a bundle slung over her shoulder.

I quickly pulled down my ragged cloth.

Lü Bu, who had already covered her face at some point, promptly stepped between me and the girl.

“What do you want now?”

She was acting like a guard dog.

What was going on?

I nudged Lü Bu aside.

She glanced up at me, looking slightly shocked—almost like a puppy abandoned by its owner.

I simply shrugged my shoulders.

“T-This is a basket of fruits my mother grew herself. Since you live in the mountains, we worried you might be short on food… We’ve already received so much kindness from you.”

“I see.”

It’s best not to refuse such things.

Harshly rejecting someone trying to repay a favor isn’t something a martial artist would do.

“Thank you.”

“N-Not at all.”

The girl clasped her hands together and bowed politely.

I laughed heartily.

As I opened the bundle, I saw an assortment of fruits.

I took a bite of one and said,

“But you really don’t have to come here anymore. I’m not the physician you think I am; I only did what anyone should.”

“H-How could you say that?”

“Isn’t it true? You came seeking help for your child. It was a desperate attempt, wasn’t it? That’s compassion; that’s chivalry. They’re things all people should have.”

“…”

“So there’s no need to do this. But I’ll gladly accept this gift.”

The girl’s eyes widened. Her eyes sparkled so brightly it was almost blinding.

I smiled wryly and repacked the remaining fruits.

As I tried to lift the bundle onto my shoulder, Lü Bu silently took it from me.

“Well, we have nothing to give you in return. As you can see, it’s a humble place.”

“…N-No, that’s fine.”

The girl bowed deeply, almost kneeling.

She was bowing as if paying respects to someone of high status.

“I’ll be going now.”

“Alright. I’ll say it again; you really don’t need to come.”

The girl swallowed nervously and spoke cautiously.

“If it’s not too much to ask, may I know why someone like you resides in such a humble place?”

“Well, isn’t it obvious? To stand up again.”

“To stand up again? For what reason?”

“Well, let’s leave it at that. I need to go back inside.”

The piercing gaze from the side was intense. I also wanted to avoid drawing too much attention.

So, I turned my back.

“If fate allows, we’ll meet again. Be careful not to get caught by bandits again.”

I said, leaning on my cane.

Just in case, I glanced back slightly, and she was still bowing with her head down, almost kneeling.

A rarely polite girl.

***

“So, do you know what he said?”

“This is the nth time you’ve told me.”

“Mother, just listen!”

Hyeryeon said, shaking her mother’s arm.

She then put on a solemn expression, puffed out her small chest, and spoke.

“Ahem! ‘I only did what anyone should!’ That’s what he said!”

“…I see.”

Hyeryeon’s mother sighed deeply.

Because she wasn’t the only one drawn to the man in the forest.

“Oh my, did he really say that?”

It was the mother of the child Unryong had helped the other day.

“Yes, he really did.”

“How amazing… But why would someone with such exceptional skills choose to live in seclusion?”

The woman spoke with concern.

Hyeryeon cleared her throat dramatically again.

“He said it was to stand up again.”

“To stand up again?”

“It must hold some profound meaning.”

“…Oh my.”

The woman and the girl were both giddy with admiration, making squeals of excitement.

Hyeryeon’s mother sighed as she watched them.

It seemed they were completely captivated.