42 Chapter 41: Spring (2/2)
Then he finally spoke up.
”We've finally perfected the manufacturing process of artificial qi.”
”…huh?”
”What?”
”Artificial qi?”
A hushed murmur swept across the students again, with many looking confused and even more looking excited. There were rumors going on at the end of the previous academy year about the production of artificial qi, but there was no confirmation or information. The academy had kept the secrets of artificial qi close to its metaphorical chest, and most people dismissed them as gossip or myths. No one took it seriously.
But now, Xiao Zhang had just made the unbelievable announcement that artificial qi was real, and not only that, they had succeeded in manufacturing it.
They must have developed and perfected the process over the winter vacation, I guessed. Not that the timeframe would make much of a difference.
”Every one of you would be provided the chance to absorb artificial qi,” Xiao Zhang continued after everyone fell into silence. He smiled knowingly. ”I know you must be surprised. The high school division was just as shocked as you.”
”Incredible,” Tong Xue whispered. ”I heard of the rumors, but I never thought they would be true.”
”Artificial qi? Is it real?” Zhu Jiao muttered in disbelief.
”If this is true, it'll change everything we know about martial arts,” Tang Qi Hong remarked, her eyes wide.
”Change? It would revolutionize martial arts.” Ban Zhang shook his head. ”All the traditional training methods would be rendered…obsolete.”
”Note that this will not change your current regime,” Xiao Zhang declared, almost as if he had heard Ban Zhang's statement. ”Artificial qi only gives you an advantage and boosts your strength considerably, but it does not replace martial arts techniques. It is not cheap, and is highly costly to produce. Nonetheless, we've succeeded in synthesizing artificial qi and found a process to customize them for your various martial arts. Needless to say, the artificial qi will only be useful if you use it in tandem with your martial arts. Just having a large amount of qi is useless unless you know how to utilize it properly.”
”Well, looks like we don't have to worry about that,” Tong Xue said mischievously. Ban Zhang merely shrugged.
”I stand corrected.”
”Furthermore, the absorption of artificial qi varies from person to person. Don't overly rely on your amount of qi. Yes, it might give you an overwhelming advantage in a fight, but the basics of your martial arts are as important as ever. In an environment where everyone has massive amounts of qi, the winner will undoubtedly be the one with the most solid foundation and who has honed his martial arts techniques to perfection.”
I listened, but couldn't help feeling unsettled. There was something about this whole affair that didn't sound right to me. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I wasn't sure I wanted artificial qi. It sounded too good to be true.
Will it really be safe?
This was what they called shortcuts. And from my experience, it was never a good idea to take shortcuts in life.
”Of course, I'm sure some of you and your sect masters would be uncomfortable with the idea of artificial qi. There will be some who view change as dangerous, and since this is an unprecedented change, their fears are not unfounded. Therefore, if you do not wish to receive artificial qi, you are free to reject it.”
From the murmurs around me, it didn't sound like anyone was opposed to the idea of receiving artificial qi. It was a massive boost, and sounded like the most awesome thing to ever happen to the academy. In fact, it would be idiotic to refuse this chance.
”That said, inner qi difference does exist.” Xiao Zhang grew serious and swept his gaze solemnly over the listening students. ”It might be the deciding factor in a fight. Just like how someone with a weaker physical constitution might not be able to hurt someone with a much stronger physical constitution, having a tremendous gulf in the amount of qi would prove decisive in determining the outcome of a fight.”
He paused, and his steely eyes hardened.
”If there's only a few years of difference between the amounts of qi, you might still be able to overcome that gap through perception, strategy or other factors. However, if the gulf is too large, then no amount of perception or strategy will be able to help you bridge the gap.”
I sighed. Not this bullshit again. I hated it when people resorted to the whole ”I have more qi therefore I win” logic.
”From now onward, the amount of qi would probably be measured in terms of sexagenary.”
”Eh? What's that?”
”Sexagenary?”
The majority of students hadn't heard of that unfamiliar term before. But as I was previously a thirty-year-old PhD major in East Asian history, literature and folklore, I had heard of it.
”The sexagenary cycle is also known as the Stems and Branches or Gan Zhi. It's used to refer to a sixty-year cycle, and was used to measure time in ancient China…I mean the ancient Zhou Empire. It was used to record days, sort of a prototypical calendar.”
”Oh, looks like someone did his homework.” Xiao Zhang smirked. So the guy could hear whatever we were speaking. ”That is correct. But in this case, we're using it as a measuring unit for the production of artificial qi.”
”Don't tell me…”
My eyes widened when I understood. Xiao Zhang nodded.
”One sexagenary of qi is the estimated amount of qi achieved by cultivating inner energy for sixty years. Of course, the amount of qi cultivated over sixty years varies from practitioner to practitioner, but we're using the mean…the average of most practitioners.”
A deathly silence filled the hall as all the students stared at Xiao Zhang, their minds churning chaotically at the revelation.
”Now, imagine receiving that amount of energy at your age. To have sixty years' worth of cultivating qi when you're only 14 or 15. What sort of difference would that make?”
”Incredible,” one student muttered.
”Amazing…”
”Is this for real?”
”I don't know, but…”
”By the time you've reached high school, you would be provided two to three sexagenaries of qi, which means you'll be surpassing all but the oldest and longest living of cultivators. You would, in essence, become living legends.”
The students continued to chatter animatedly as Xiao Zhang described the new process, unable to contain their excitement, disbelief and anxieties.
”Thanks to this revolutionary invention, all of you, as well as martial arts students from the future, will be able to train your martial arts to the limits of the human ability…no, you'll be able to surpass those limits!”
”Whoa…”
”I don't believe it…”
”I'm not dreaming, right?”
”Perfection of your martial arts is like a dream come true, right?” Xiao Zhang beamed at us. ”Almost all traditional martial arts are based on obtaining near unachievable amounts of inner qi. With our newest creation, all of you will be able to achieve the pinnacle of your traditional martial arts, halving your cultivation period…no, even speeding it up by six times!”
He then turned away.
”Your homeroom teachers will be providing you more details as the semester goes by, and you can apply for artificial qi through the school. But I believe that's enough excitement for today. On that note, I shall end the opening ceremony for the middle school division. I'll see you later, during the Star Constitution measurement examination.”
With that, he disappeared off the stage, already soaring away somewhere in a single bound. The old man was as amazing as ever.
”All right, all of you.”
Teacher Jiao Shi came to the front and clapped his hands to draw our attention. Similarly, the homeroom teachers of the other classes were also strolling forward and taking charge of dismissing or making announcements to their respective classes.
Clearly, Teacher Jiao was our homeroom teacher again this year, and would continue to be for the rest of our middle school years.
”The opening ceremony is over, so let's move. I know most of you have to return to your sects and get ready for the first year recruitment drive, so don't waste any time. The first year students will be arriving soon, so get a move on. The rest of you are dismissed.”
”Lucky you,” Tong Xue told me. I shrugged and grinned.
”The privilege of being an Experimentalist.”
”I bet you'll also be one of the first to receive artificial qi.”
I shrugged, still unsure about the entire process. Still, since it was available, there was no reason to reject it. I wasn't stupid enough to refuse a silver spoon if it was offered to me. I might as well make full use of the resources available to me.
I could only hope it was safe, and that there wouldn't be any negative side effects. I remembered how doping would leave devastating effects on the body, and wondered if artificial qi was something similar. I had best found out more and ensure its safety before committing myself to such experimental products.
”What do you make of the whole thing?” Zhu Jiao asked, looking as uncertain as I. I didn't blame him. This was new, and completely unprecedented. The only manhwa I read that ever talked about artificial qi was a Korean story named Veritas, which had ended its run over eight years ago, and never got a sequel despite the open ending. Apparently the author and the artist had a falling out, but since I didn't understand Korean, I never knew what really happened.
”I don't know,” I replied honestly with a shrug. ”But no harm trying, right? That said, I need to find more information regarding it, or…”
”You're kidding! This has got to be the best news ever!” Tong Xue exclaimed. ”I'm so glad we're living in the modern period!”
”This will change our understanding of martial arts forever,” Lian Rou agreed, but she seemed a little afraid. ”I…don't know if it's a good thing.”
”Well, we'll find out,” Tang Qi Hong assured her. ”We're the pioneer batch, after all.”
”Yeah, that's our job,” Ban Zhang muttered bitterly. ”To be guinea pigs for the academy's crazy experiments.” Then he smiled. ”That said, artificial qi, huh…this sounds amazing. I can't wait!”
”Be careful what you wish for,” I mumbled under my breath as I turned to glance at the now deserted stage, that chilling premonition now bothering me more than ever.