Murim's Weakest Princess-Chapter 49: Artificial Networks

Over the next two weeks, Anji would spend hours sitting with her shifu on some days. Although she knew this was treatment, she had no idea what Yan Ping was doing. Her teacher often appeared exhausted after every session and needed time to recuperate before continuing her treatment. Despite her efforts, Anji felt no different from before. Plucking up her courage, she decided to ask about the treatment method the next time she visited her teacher.

"Treatment method?" Yan Ping wondered how it took the curious child this long to finally ask her about it. "It’s creating a set of artificial valves and switches in your network. However, I have to repair the broken chains first. Think of it as building artificial networks in your body so you can learn to cultivate the basics without dying."

Artificial networks? Anji had never read about them in the books in her library. Curious, she asked for more information. Yan Ping put her treatment session on hold to answer Anji’s questions. Like an incessant rain, her questions came in torrents once the dam was broken.

Patiently, Yan Ping explained the basics of spells and formation arrays to describe the artificial networks she wanted to create.

"You’ll learn more of these at the Mystical Qilin Sect," she reassured Anji, who appeared to have more questions than answers.

According to the blind lady, she would slowly modify Mingfeng’s seal on Anji’s core to allow the pressure built up in Anji’s core to trickle out slowly as she learned to cultivate using an artificial network of meridians. Similar to redirecting a river through irrigation, Yan Ping was repairing the broken channels and introducing taps in her body in every meridian.

"Every meridian path has a main valve. Only after you can control the flow of qi will these valves open for you. Of course, that’s only the beginning. I’m still repairing your broken meridian pathways and introducing seals at every major acupoint to control the flow of your qi so that these fragile pathways are not damaged."

According to Yan Ping’s theory, once Anji could cultivate and use the qi in her body, her body would automatically attempt to repair all the damage done to her health. She would not only become healthier but also strong enough to practise martial arts without the strange interval training method designed by Doctor He.

"Will I be able to meditate underneath a roaring waterfall like brother Yihao?"

Under the White Tiger sect leader’s tutelage, Anji’s third brother was trained in a recklessly rough manner that somehow suits the troublemaking boy’s temperament. Although training under the waterfall was commonly done in the past to tamper with the physical body and accelerate the acquisition of a tough body, it wasn’t necessary to go through that sort of training to achieve the Ultimate Body.

"You could," Yan Ping replied cautiously. "However, that’s not how the Mystical Qilin Sect trains. Unlike your third brother, who was born with a Yang Body condition, you would still be weaker than most cultivators without proper meridians. Sect Leader Bai’s training is too reckless. Shifu doesn’t recommend it."

Appeased, Anji dropped the thought. It wasn’t as if she was keen on meditating underneath a roaring waterfall. Lizi did not let her forget why she needed a bath attendant at all times now. After her fainting episode while meditating in the medicinal bath, her maid was more vigilant than a hawk. In addition to Lizi, Anji had a second security guard by the name of Gu Ying. The Manchurian beauty was sometimes worse than Lizi and could not be swayed by pleas or bribes.

With over three hundred acupoints in her body, Anji gave up trying to calculate how many seals her shifu had to create. No wonder Yan Ping was always exhausted after every treatment session! It was like having one person build a dam, dig the trench, repair the leaks, and redirect the water flow all in one day. No matter how powerful her teacher had become, it would still be exhausting.

"That’s not all," Yan Ping continued. "After I build these artificial networks, there is also a calibration phase to determine how much I can loosen your father’s seal on your core. The first seal is easy to break. However, the second seal is tricky. With both seals interwoven tightly, it is possible that your father and Sect Leader Bai have to assist me in recreating a new seal for you."

Anji’s jaw fell to the floor. Three top murim experts were needed to treat her condition. If she were a regular person born to a regular household, Anji would have died the day she was born. What has she done in her past life to deserve such good karma?

Although she could not see the child, Yan Ping was quite aware of her personality.

"It is the duty of those with the ability to assist those in need," she declared. "When you recover, it will become your turn to help others with your ability."

Engraving those words into her heart, Anji vowed never to take her good fortune for granted.

"The soul bracelet helps to anchor your soul in your body. It has nothing to do with your broken meridians or sealed core. Thanks to your experience of getting spirited away and the Heavenly Eyes, shifu was able to take a step into the Supreme Core stage. Doing this much is only right," she smiled and poked her student’s forehead through her bangs. "Are you ready for today’s treatment? I’m going to repair your Pericardium Merdian today."

The pericardium meridian promotes heart health, blood circulation and emotional stability. Nodding, Anji steeled her resolve. There would be an itch near her chest area, but she was slowly getting better at resisting ticklish sensations.

"I’m ready, shifu!"

Offering her wrist to Yan Ping, Anji waited for the blind prophet to enter her zone. Over the past two weeks, Anji realised how her shifu’s eyes often turned slightly golden whenever she treated Anji. It seemed similar to Anji’s Heavenly Eyes, further confirming Yan Ping’s claims about receiving a hint before breaking through from Anji’s experience after she was spirited away.

Although the little girl had many questions about the soul arts, she held her tongue now and suppressed a giggle when tingling sensations travelled up her wrist and crept closer to her armpit.