Against the Gods

Chapter 18 – A Silver Needle to Release the Cold

“Who did you hear that from?” Xia Qingyue coldly asked, her thoughts startled. At the same level of profound strength, the life expectancy of members of Frozen Cloud Asgard was shorter than other people’s by a large amount. This was the cruel truth. Even within Frozen Cloud Asgard, this was a secret that had always been suppressed by the Frozen Cloud Asgard’s leadership.

The reason why Xia Qingyue knew about it was because her master had absentmindedly mentioned it to her after one of her breakthroughs. Furthermore, she told her that this was Frozen Cloud Asgard’s biggest flaw and strictly ordered her not to tell anyone, including her fellow disciples. Yet here, Xiao Che had readily said it out loud.

“If I were the master of the Frozen Cloud Asgard, I would use all my might to hide this ‘flaw’ and prevent outsiders from finding out. Do you think I could’ve possibly heard this from anyone?” Xiao Che said, curling his lips: “I really came to this conclusion from measuring your pulse, that’s all. From your reaction, it seems that everything I said was right.”

“I don’t believe you!” Xia Qingyue resolutely shook her head. To be able to infer Frozen Cloud Asgard’s biggest secret just from a pulse? That’s ridiculous. If it was that easy, with the countless number of spirit doctors in Blue Wind Empire, Frozen Cloud Asgard’s secret would have been exposed who knows how many years ago.

However, everything Xiao Che had just said went straight to the crux of the matter, without any flaws at all. There was no way Xia Qingyue would not be bewildered.

“I knew that you won’t believe me.” Xiao Che picked up the medicinal pot and package from the ground and walked into the house. “Follow me.”

Xia Qingyue’s gaze swept over the items held in his hands. After a bit of hesitation, she followed him into the room and closed the door behind her.

After setting down the medicinal pot and package, Xiao Che ordered Xia Qingyue: “Sit down.”

“What do you want to do?” Xia Qingyue looked at him with suspicion.

“Obviously, I want to treat you.”

“There’s no need.” Xia Qingyue immediately shook her head.

“Whether it’s necessary or not, it’s best if you wait until afterwards to decide… Hey! You shouldn’t be unwilling to even try it, right?”

Xiao Che opened the package and took out a silver box. He let out a sigh, a look of frustration and disappointment appeared on his face: “I know you basically don’t believe anything I say. But at the very least, I don’t have the ability, nor any reason, to hurt you. The reason I retrieved these things from the infirmary early in the morning is only because I wanted to give you treatment, that’s all. If it works, then that’s good, if not, you still won’t lose anything… Since you don’t want to believe me, and don’t want to give it a try, then forget it. Just pretend it’s unrequited affection.”

Xiao Che’s words startled Xia Qingyue and a bit of guilt grew in her heart… It was true that what he said before, and what he was saying now were all to help treat her. He didn’t request anything from her or raise any conditions. He also, as he said so himself, had no reason or ability to harm her… No matter what the result, to outright reject him was really a bit excessive.

Xia Qingyue let out a sigh in her heart and then sat down next to Xiao Che: “How are you going to treat me?”

“… You’re willing to receive treatment?” Xiao Che gave her a look and then turned his face away with a snort.

His attitude of a wronged child left Xia Qingyue unable to decide whether she should laugh or cry and her voice relaxed: “I want to see how you’ll treat me.”

“En, now that’s more obedient.” When Xiao Che turned his face back, his expression was all smiles. This caused Xia Qingyue to stare distractedly at him… This guy’s mood swings were really too quick!

“Extend your hand.”

Xiao Che sat in front of Xia Qingyue. Xia Qingyue also accordingly extended both arms, resting them horizontally on the table. Her red sleeves pushed up to her elbows, exposing a pair of creamy, snow white arms.

Xiao Che opened the silver box. Surprisingly, arranged inside were several tens of thread thin silver needles.

“Silver needles… Don’t tell me you are going to use acupuncture?” Xia Qingyue’s moon like brows raised.

“Eh? You actually know acupuncture?” Xiao Che gave her a somewhat surprised look. Back on Blue Cloud Continent, there weren’t even ten people that could perform acupuncture, even if he and his medical saint master were included. However, on Profound Sky Continent, this apparently was among one of the more popular medical treatments. It was even possible to find a set of acupuncture tools in the Xiao Clan’s infirmary.

“Of course I know. I also know that to be skilled in acupuncture techniques requires a lot of time. You need tens of years to have even a little bit of success. I’ve never heard that you were studying medical techniques, not to mention acupuncture. Also, your room doesn’t have the smell or mark of traditional medicine. What exactly are you going to do?” Xia Qingyue’s eyes all along were wary and suspicious.

Xiao Che took out a silver needle, gripping its base with two fingers… When Xiao Che picked up the silver needle, Xiao Qingyue’s gaze became slightly distracted. That was because in Xiao Che’s hands, that silver needle had a kind of indescribably feeling of harmony, as if it had been naturally grown from Xiao Che’s hands. This feeling was very subtle and indescribable, yet it clearly and truly existed.

Xiao Che opened a small bottle and carefully dipped the silver needle inside: “Whether or not I know how to perform acupuncture, you’ll immediately find out. Of course, if you feel that there’s something wrong, or feel that I’m playing around, you can have me stop whenever you want.”

“What’s inside that bottle?” Xia Qingyue’s gaze fell upon that small bottle.

“Ordinary juice from the scarlet sunflower.” Xiao Che responded without thinking, his gaze falling upon Xia Qingyue’s snowy arms. The left hand holding the silver needle flickered slightly.

Xiao Che’s movement was exceedingly fast, so fast that Xia Qingyue couldn’t react. When Xiao Che’s left hand withdrew, the silver needle between his fingers could no longer be seen. Instead, on her right wrist, a silver needle was inserted vertically… accurately landing on the Yang Chi acupuncture point.

There was no pain, it could be better described as no feeling at all. If it weren’t for the fact that she was staring blankly at this silver needle, she wouldn’t have known that there was a silver needle piercing her wrist at all. Xia Qingyue was moved… So quick? No, this was quick! But rather skillful! A kind of skill that had reached an astonishing level, to the point where it could be said to be at its peak!

The second silver needle was picked up by Xiao Che and dipped in the scarlet sunflower juice. As he leaned towards Xia Qingyue’s right wrist, his wrist shook slightly and the second silver needle accurately pierced the Yang Gu acupuncture point. The third and fourth needle were pierced into the Zhong Zhu and He Gu points respectively.

After the right hand, another four silver needles pierced the left hand’s Yang Chi, Yang Gu, Zhong Zhu, and He Gu four points. Each time, his movements were so quick that Xia Qingyue could only see a faint shadow pass by. The astonishment in her heart also accordingly rose with each silver needle’s pierce.

(TL: RAW said her astonishment overlapped with the needles or something)

She didn’t know if Xiao Che’s “treatment” would have any effect, but Xia Qingyue fundamentally couldn’t believe that this technique, skillful to the point of bewitchment, was performed by a sixteen year old boy.

“Relax your hands and breathe steadily. Under no circumstances are you to use profound strength.”

Xiao Che’s voice echoed next to her ear. She cooperated with him, her hands loosened and her breath calmed. At this moment, she suddenly felt ice cold air condense within both hands. Then, as if finding a drain, it quickly rushing towards the four Yang Chi, Yang Gu, Zhong Zhu, and He Gu points that had been pierced by silver needles…

Suddenly, wisps of white mist slowly rose above the eight silver needles, the cold air stored within quickly lowering the surrounding temperature. Upon feeling the cold air fleeing from her meridians and the quickly rising white fog, Xia Qingyue’s snowy face violently twitched.

It took a few minutes for the white fog to completely stop rising. At this time, Xiao Che suddenly reached out and flicked both his hands, his fingers moving like a mirage. In a split second, all eight of the silver needles that had been pierced into Xia Qingyue’s hands had been returned into his and then placed in a different case.

“This cold air was even heavier than I thought. It’s good that you met me.” Xiao Che muttered in a small voice, then closed the silver needle case and said: “Qingyue my wife, how do your hands feel now?”

Xia Qingyue raised both of her hands, her eyes wavering. Light, cozy, warm… that was how her hands felt right now. As if she was suddenly freed from some kind of heavy restraint. It was the first time since she started cultivating the Frozen Cloud Sacred Arts that she had felt this kind of warmth in her palm and arms. She lifted her eyes to look at Xiao Che, asking in astonishment: “What exactly is this?”

“It’s actually really simple. I just released the cold air inside your hands and the meridians in your hands. At the same time, I unblocked the clogged meridians. That’s all.” Xiao Che humbly said: “Your Frozen Cloud Asgard’s profound technique can allow profound qi to become ice cold and thus greatly increase your power. The reason the ice cold profound qi is more powerful is because cold air is very harmful to people… Your enemies are people, but you are also a person. Before harming someone else, you inevitably harm yourself first. This is a very obvious principle.”

“This morning, when I touched your palm, I found that your palm’s temperature was much colder than that of a normal person. Perhaps the members of your Frozen Cloud Asgard really believe that this is the expected result of cultivating the Frozen Cloud Arts, but from a medical standpoint, it would be weird if this kind of body temperature was considered normal!! Normally, when you don’t use your profound strength, the profound strength collects in your profound veins and won’t influence your body. However, as soon as it’s used, the Frozen Cloud profound qi links with your entire body, injuring it when it’s released. When it’s circulating, it will also harm you! You should not have been cultivating the Frozen Cloud Arts for more than a few years but a large amount of cold air has already permeated your five viscera, six bowels, blood, bone marrow, and dantian, and it is still accumulating. Over time, it will continually cause severe harm to your internal organs, it would be strange if it didn’t shorten your life! These negative effects really are things you would never come across normally.”

(TL: plz google these medical things yourself)

Xia Qingyue: “…”

“In addition, under the cold air, the body’s many meridians will frequently spasm and then close up, greatly affecting your ability to use profound qi. You can try to transfer profound strength to your hands and see how it compares to before.” Xiao Che spoke with a stern face.

Xiao Che’s confident opinion was stated reasonably from start to finish and was presented with cause and effect. Not only that but the reasoning was so easy to understand that even an idiot listening could understand. Once Xiao Che’s earnest reactions were added, it was basically impossible to question or refute him.

As Xiao Che was speaking with that stern face, his heart was actually grimacing… because while everything that he had just said was actually true, but it was both true… and yet also nonsense!

That cold air amassing within would harm the body was true. The fact that it would close the meridians was also true… but if the Frozen Cloud Arts were as unbearable as he stated, how would Frozen Cloud Asgard be worth anything? Not to mention being at the peak of the Blue Wind Empire, it wouldn’t even be able to last another eight hundred years. After cultivating the Frozen Cloud Arts for a while, the body will have completely gotten used to it. Then, the cold air in the body, while it used to be harmful, would not only stop harming them, but also provide assistance. The congested meridians would also naturally clear.

However, Xia Qingyue has only been cultivating the Frozen Cloud Arts for three or four years. She naturally couldn’t be at the “completely adapted” phase. With his words combining with her own experiences up to now, in addition to the feeling after the “treatment”, Xiao Che’s arguments sounded fundamentally flawless to her.

“Treatment”, was only an excuse. The Frozen Cloud Arts’ “flaw” was also only an excuse. What he wanted to accomplish, only he knew.