The night was deep.
The Inner Medicine Chamber of the Wudong Sect was sealed shut.
Only a single oil lamp burned within, its flame steady and quiet.
At its center sat Ma Choasung.
A jade box rested before him.
Inside it lay the thousand-year-old Ginseng.
---
Consumption — A Risk to Life
Outside the chamber, Wu Zhenghai and Wu Xinyue stood in silence. Several elders waited with tense expressions.
"His Qi channels are naturally dead," one elder said gravely.
"If the ginseng's energy becomes too violent…
his body could rupture."
Ma Choasung opened the box.
There was no ritual.
No chanting.
No dramatic preparation.
Only a rational decision.
"A small dose," he muttered to himself.
He cut off a piece of the root—
and chewed it slowly.
---
The Awakening
At first, nothing happened.
Then—
Heat.
A sharp pain bloomed near his dantian, like water finally seeping into land that had been dry for centuries.
Ma Choasung immediately adjusted his breathing.
Scientific.
Controlled.
Optimized.
Qi began to move.
First a drop.
Then a thin stream.
That night, he did not consume the entire root.
He only awakened the body.
---
The Next Four Days
Day One
Qi circulation was unstable, but the pathways had opened.
Basic stance holding—flawless.
---
Day Two
Muscle memory awakened.
Reaction speed increased.
The elders were stunned.
---
Day Three
Qi flow became smooth.
Resonance formed between sword and body.
Wu Xinyue watched in silence.
---
Day Four
The training ground fell completely quiet.
---
Wudong Swift Cuts
This was the foundational technique of the Wudong Sect.
Speed-based strikes.
Perfect angles.
Qi-synchronized slashes.
Ordinary disciples needed five to six months.
Talented ones required three months.
Wu Zhenghai himself, in his prime—three months.
Ma Choasung?
Four days.
---
Demonstration
Ma Choasung stood before a wooden dummy and raised his sword.
One breath.
Slash.
Slash.
Slash.
Three strikes—
three different angles—
within a single breath.
The upper half of the dummy slid apart and fell to the ground.
Perfect cuts.
---
The Weight of Silence
Not a sound echoed through the training ground.
Wu Zhenghai finally spoke, his voice low.
"This is not just talent."
He looked at Ma Choasung carefully.
"This is understanding."
---
Ma Choasung's Truth
Ma Choasung lowered his sword.
"The technique was never difficult," he said calmly.
"People make it complicated."
Then he added,
"Don't follow Qi.
Guide it."
To the elders, it felt as if an entirely new world had opened.
---
Wu Xinyue's Reaction
She spoke softly,
"You're not normal."
Ma Choasung smiled faintly.
"I was just late."
---
End Scene
Ma Choasung stood alone in the courtyard.
Qi shimmered gently along the edge of his sword.
Caption:
When the mind knows the path,
the body only needs to walk.