Volume 5
Chapter 4 Part
2
The Moon's
Halo, Reaching Its Sixth Step 2
Translator : PolterGlast
When Akira and the
others returned to the inn, the noise in the main street had begun to subside.
Crackle. The sound of
firewood crackling in the stove could be heard through the peephole.
With a slight creak,
the door opened, and cold air entered the room.
The sound was
unexpectedly loud, and Rindo Saki, who had been standing by, whispered.
"Are you alright,
Akira-kun?"
"Yeah. But the
Yuzenma Sect knows where we're staying."
"—At least we
don't have to worry about an attack tonight,"
Dai Tian Lingying, who
had returned to the room after Akira, replied with a bitter expression.
From the cold sky to
the warmth of the room. The sudden difference in temperature made her skin
crawl.
"What makes you
think so?"
"Li Haoran is a
rising star in the Yuzenma Sect.
Since I've declared my
intention to come, it would be a loss of face for the Yuzenma Sect if they
didn't welcome me."
"It's just a way
to buy time," Lingying added, as if muttering to herself, and took off the
shawl she was wearing over her qipao.
Li Fengjun entered the
room, making the floor creak.
"At worst, they
might find out that Takamagahara and the Dai Tian family have formed an
alliance."
"—Haoran said he
was just searching for me because he heard I was in the flea market."
"Could he be
keeping us in the dark with his lies?"
Watching the remnants
of the night air dissipate into the heat, Fengjn leaned his back against the
wall of the room.
It was difficult to
prove something that didn't exist.
Frankly speaking, once
one begins to doubt, there is no end to the question.
They needed to decide
where to draw the line, but they hadn't built enough trust with each other yet.
"I don't think
so. Given Haoran's personality, if he knew that Takamagahara and the Dai Tian
family had formed an alliance, he wouldn't act alone.
He would definitely
gather his subordinates and surround us to prevent information from
leaking."
"—The Yuzenma
Sect, like all the Six Sects of Tsongma, values face.
Especially someone
like Haoran, who is an assistant to the sect master, wouldn't easily resort to
such underhanded tactics."
In place of Fengjun,
who was carefully arranging his words, Lingying gave a follow-up.
Although she had tried
to ensure a relationship with Takamagahara, if things turned out that way, it
would have the opposite effect.
She decided to reveal
more information, thinking it was better than having doubts about her actions
in the future.
"Lord Yotsurugi,
how much do you know about the Yuzenma Sect?"
"Not much. I've
done a lot of research on Rondaria, as we'll eventually have to confront
them."
Since they'd just
formed an alliance, he would not have much time to spend on the investigation.
Lingying nodded, judging that Akira's answer was not a lie.
"The Shinkenten
Sect, the Ruiguang Di Sect, the Cide Ren Sect, the Yuanlin Wu Sect, the Jiedeng
Sheng Sect, and the Yuzenma Sect.
Of these six sects,
the Yuzenma Sect has a unique position in that they have a dragon vein in
Qingdao."
"Wait a minute.
You mean there's a dragon vein in the capital?
Isn't that
normal?"
Saki asked a question
in response to this unexpected explanation.
In Takamagahara,
capitals were always built around dragon veins or wind holes. There were no
exceptions to this, not only for the capital, but also for every other region.
The reason was simple.
The effective range of the blessings given by the shrine parishioners' lottery
is limited to the domain governed by the local deity.
The blessing is, in
other words, the priority right to interfere with events in that land. It meant
that spells worked better and the land was prone to good fortune.
For Saki, who was
bound by the shrine parishioners' lottery, it was only natural to build a
living area around a wind hole.
"―Rindo-sama, are
you concerned about the effective range of the blessing?"
"Is it different
in other countries?"
"Except for a few
exceptions, as far as I know.
For example, Kunlun in
Tsongma, the divine pillar's domain is closer to nature than the human
world."
"In other words,
it's a difference in perception."
Akira responded in
agreement to Lingying's concluding explanation.
"The closer you
are to the divine pillar, the stronger the blessings, but it's more natural for
the sacred realm to be closer to nature."
"It is also well
known that many of the exceptions to this rule are common to all sacred realms.
In other words, it
means that if the divine pillar is associated with humans, it doesn't have to
be that way."
The most famous
example of such a divine pillar was Saint Ariadne of Vansuir.
Her concept as a
divine pillar was related to human beings. It was natural for Ariadne to be
always close to the human world.
"But that's not
the case with Takamagahara,"
Saki tilted her head
at Lingying's explanation.
The concept of the
divine pillar that protected Takamagahara was the operation of the five
elements, which supported the present world. And as a sacred realm, it was
closer to nature.
"From a
geographical and defensive standpoint, your country is more ideal.
It's difficult to
defend both the sacred realm and the capital, so usually the location of the
dragon vein is hidden."
"Let's get back
to the main topic," Lingying said, clearing her throat to change the
subject. "The teachings of the Yuzenma Sect are the embodiment of
omnipresent wisdom. They are skilled in blending into human society and
secretly controlling it."
"―In simpler
terms, they're experts in stealth and sorcery. If you're caught, you can't escape,
and if you meet them directly, you don't know what they might do to you."
"On the other
hand, they are weak against direct attacks with overwhelming force. The reason
for their defeat in the Qingdao war was the destruction caused by naval gunfire
from the sea, which was difficult to defend against," Lingying stated
confidently.
"So, are we being
tracked by Li Haoran now?"
"That's right.
However, Li Haoran can't take any further action.
He'll probably gather
information through this inn, but he will concentrate only on os."
In other words, apart
from Dai Tian Lingying and Li Fengjun, Akira was the only one being
investigated. Hearing Lingying's assurance, Akira and Saki exchanged glances.
"I told him that
I was a martial artist from the Shinkentenkyo, but I don't know if he believed
me."
"Given that I (Li
Fengjun) was with you, he probably won't doubt it."
"Now that you
mention it, I heard you're Li Haoran's younger brother."
"Yeah. I left
home a long time ago. ...Honestly, I didn't think anyone would remember me from
when I was a kid."
Fengjun responded to
Akira's question with a nostalgic and lonely tone. Although he had tried to
cover it up, it was clear that his words were not directed at Akira.
It was more of a
monologue than an answer to a question.
"Although Fengjun
is a member of the Heavenly Sect, he is treated as a guest.
—Originally, he couldn't go back, but we needed the
cooperation of the Qingdao gangs, so I asked him to do something
unreasonable."
"For Li Family
and the Yuzenma Sect, I'm probably just a stain on their reputation.
If you're worried
about me betraying you—"
"I'm not worried
about that. Li Haoran definitely intended to kill us.
My question is, what
is the real relationship between the Yuzenma Sect and Rondaria?"
"What do you
mean?"
"I heard that
Rondaria controls Qingdao, but it was only Haoran who was moving around
earlier.
And by the way, I
haven't seen many Westerners since we left the harbor."
"...What's so
strange about that?"
Lingying tilted her
head at Akira's statement.
Rondaria, driven by
capital, was known as a country where anything could be bought with money. This
was also true for the concessions, which had the same political system, and was
the reason why Akira and the others had been relying on the Eastern Continent
Railway.
"In the Kamotsu
concession, there were more Westerners. But looking at Qingdao, even in the
harbor, they seemed to be a minority."
"That's true.
When I left, Rondarians were wandering everywhere."
"Instead, there
are more Tsongma people. ...Could it be just a coincidence?"
"Definitely not.
They claim ownership of the concession.
If I were Rondaria, I
would pour resources into securing police power, no matter the cost."
Unlike Kamotsu,
Qingdao was ceded land as a result of defeat. It didn't make sense for Rondaria
not to increase its military force in order to suppress resistance in its
territory.
"I want
information, but we're meeting the Yuzenma Sect tomorrow.
...Can we get a concession
from them?"
"It's difficult,
but I have something to offer in exchange.
They'll probably
accept it, as it's something they desperately need."
Akira frowned at the
small box Lingying was showing him in response to his question.
It was the same type of
box as the one containing the pills that had been given to him as a token of
alliance.
"Is that a Divine
Refined Pill?"
"Yes. This is the
last one I could bring, apart from the one I gave to Lord Yotsurugi."
"I'm not
knowledgeable about this, but what are its effects?
I'd like to know
now."
"Indeed, I
haven't explained it yet," Lingying replied with a faint smile, carefully
putting away the box. But as someone of low rank in the family, she didn't know
much about the details of the elixir either.
"There are six
steps to immortality. They are the teachings of Heaven, Earth, Human, Martial
Arts, Medicine, and Magic.
An immortal is someone
who has mastered all six of these steps."
"An immortal? You
mean someone who eats clouds and lives forever?"
"That's more of a
legend than reality.
It's said that if you
master all six steps, you can become an immortal, but the problem is with the
martial arts."
"If you want to
improve your martial arts, don't you just need to train?"
"No matter how
much one trains, humans cannot exceed the upper limit of their innate spiritual
power.
The reason for this is
that there is a strict limit to the soul, which is the vessel of spiritual
power."
Lingying expected
Akira's response and spoke calmly. The history of the Six Sects of Tsongma is
essentially the history of cultivation towards immortality. However, no matter
how much one trained, it was nearly impossible to amplify one's innate
spiritual power, which was only a natural predisposition.
Divine Refined Pill is
the key to overcoming this limitation.
"The effect of
Divine Refined Pill is to create cracks in the soul and reshape it into a
stronger vessel.
However, in order to
fully demonstrate the effect, harmonization of the Five Qi is a
prerequisite."
"Harmony of the
Five Qi? I've heard that a few times."
"You really don't
know anything, do you?" Fengjun snorted, tilting his head at Akira.
"The soul is
spirit power, and the body is its vessel. Originally, the body is evenly
balanced with the Five Qi to accommodate the excess spirit power.
Harmony of the Five Qi
is a cultivation method that strengthens the body by enhancing the Five Qi. In
other words,"
—It increases the amount of spirit power that can be
contained.
Akira and Saki were
stunned by Fengjun's response.
In Takamagahara, the
amount of spirit power was absolutely dependent on one's spirit rank.
The existence of a
technique that could break this common sense was a threat to Akira and the others.
If such a technique
existed, anyone would want it.
For the Yuzenma Sect,
which was cut off from the Heavenly Sect, it would be an even more coveted
elixir.
◇
The company was not
open all day.
In this era, when
electricity and kerosene were precious, overtime was nothing more than a waste
of money.
This was also true for
the Haiheng Company, but for Dōgyō Harutane, who was often away, it was
necessary to deal with the accumulated paperwork.
He held out his palm
to the heat of the flickering light and rubbed his stiffened fingertips over
it.
"...Damn it,
there's no end to this. I could just use all these petitions as fuel for the
stove."
One by one, he
separated and stacked the piles of paperwork.
He muttered to
himself, knowing that no one would hear him.
When the remaining
pile had dwindled to half its size, a knock came at the door of the president's
office.
Both parties were
aware of the other's presence.
The sudden arrival of
the other party brought a wry smile to Harutane's lips.
"Come in.
...Don't be shy, boy."
"...Excuse
me."
The door creaked open
slightly, and a figure slipped in.
The faint sound of two
feet creaking on the floor could be heard.
"I heard you were
enjoying yourself in a cabaret, Kuga-dono.
How are you enjoying
your first time in Qingdao? —The wonder boy of the Kuga clan?"
"I'm not really
introducing myself or anything.
I thought it would be
interesting to see what you're up to."
Kuga Ryōta replied
with a wry smile to Dōgyō Harutane's teasing remark. Surprised by the
completely different tone from what he had heard before, Harutane turned his
gaze to the person next to Ryōta.
"You look quite
serious.
You girl over there,
have you been having fun?"
"To be honest, I
didn't expect it to be so difficult just because the language is slightly
different.
...It seems that
pickpocketing and theft are a daily occurrence here."
Nodding, Tatewaki
Nonoka, who was standing next to Ryōta, returned a smile that didn't reveal her
emotions.
Dōgyō Harutane, the
head of the Dōgyō family, rose from his seat upon the arrival of the two, who
had arrived after Akira and the others.
"That's nothing
unusual for Qingdao. ...Were there any ships searching around your ship?"
"Not
particularly. We saw a few ships offshore that rarely docked in Kamotsu."
"Oh? Well, that's
not unusual.
—Our preparations are complete. We'll leave tomorrow,
so make sure you rest well today."
Smiling back at the
two who nodded, Dōgyō Harutane turned towards the door.
There was still work to be done, but he tried to ignore the remaining documents, knowing that the situation was constantly changing.
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