Chapter 184

The group stayed in the village for two days.

Bian Bu also felt much better after getting proper rest, and Dan Ryeong-gyeong and Woon-jeong’s injuries improved considerably.

However, Jin Ja-gang didn’t stay still and continued wandering around the village, making the group curious. His behavior was very different from typical fugitives who would hide quietly to avoid being discovered.

“Young Hero Poison Dragon is busy all day. Did he find a woman or something?”

“What? Already? Poison Dragon benefactor’s appearance is handsome, but still, that’s too fast.”

“Ah-eo-eo?”

Bian Bu, who had been listening to the conversation between Dan Ryeong-gyeong, Woon-jeong, and Soso, shook his head.

“That’s unlikely. Poison Dragon is such an irritatingly meticulous fellow – would he go around looking for women?”

Woon-jeong asked.

“Why is he irritating?”

Bian Bu thought of what had happened at Lan Family Village and shuddered.

“Before becoming friends with Poison Dragon, drinking even a sip of water was dangerous, grabbing door handles was dangerous, and even packing luggage to escape was dangerous. I don’t know how many times I almost died back then, ugh…”

Indeed, Woon-jeong also had experiences of getting lost while chasing Jin Ja-gang and getting poisoned.

“That’s true. He’s a scary benefactor.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong also nodded. She too had experience. When Jin Ja-gang first met Dan Ryeong-gyeong, he had put poison in tea or evaporated poison to create poison mist. If Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s martial arts hadn’t been high, she would have been more than sufficiently affected.

Only Soso shook her head saying no and defended Jin Ja-gang, but the three people who had already been victimized didn’t agree with Soso.

Just then, Jin Ja-gang returned.

Soso ran to Jin Ja-gang and shook her head while gesturing with her hands and feet.

Bian Bu asked on behalf of the group.

“We’ve been making many speculations about why you’ve been wandering outside all day. You’re looking around the village geography in preparation for when pursuers come, right?”

Jin Ja-gang answered simply.

“Yes.”

Woon-jeong interjected.

“But, Poison Dragon benefactor. For someone in a fugitive position, wouldn’t it be better to hide to avoid being discovered by pursuers?”

“There are times when hiding is better, but right now our pursuers are the Zhuge family and Emei Sect.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

The group thought about Jin Ja-gang’s words and understood.

Avoiding pursuit by the Zhuge family and Emei Sect was an extremely difficult task. There was no telling when they might follow and how they might attack. In that case, rather than just hiding, it might be better to secure escape routes beforehand.

Bian Bu shrugged his shoulders, saying his words were correct.

“Poison Dragon’s actions always catch people off guard.”

Even when facing Dancing Buddha, if it hadn’t been for Jin Ja-gang’s ability to catch people off guard, the group wouldn’t be alive now.

However, Jin Ja-gang didn’t change his expression even while hearing praise.

“That’s good. Then I think we need to use that element of surprise once more now.”

“Huh? Why again?”

“Martial artists who aren’t merchants entered the village this morning. They seem to be pursuers from the Zhuge family or the Martial Arts Alliance.”

“Heh, they’ve already followed us this far.”

Certainly, Jin Ja-gang wandering around was, despite some risks, very helpful for grasping the situation.

“There’s a merchant group leaving the village shortly. It would be good to follow behind them.”

Woon-jeong asked back.

“Right now?”

“No. We’ll depart this evening before sunset and follow behind the merchant group.”

“Why?”

“We also need time to prepare. While following the merchant group, we might encounter pursuers coming from ahead, or we might be caught up to from behind.”

Bian Bu nodded.

“If we follow at a distance, we won’t arouse suspicion from the merchant group, and our cart wheel tracks will mix with theirs.”

Jin Ja-gang judged that preparing for when they were caught was more important than fleeing quickly.

Jin Ja-gang looked at Dan Ryeong-gyeong and asked.

“Will you be alright?”

“Of course.”

Though it was a short time, Dan Ryeong-gyeong had also rested well and was entering the recovery stage.

Jin Ja-gang also told the evil faction member who had been driving the cart to change carts.

“Then let’s depart in an hour and a half.”

Naturally, the group was acknowledging Jin Ja-gang’s leadership. Even with Dan Ryeong-gyeong present, this was the case. Watching what Jin Ja-gang did naturally instilled confidence.

It was a strange trust where they could believe in Jin Ja-gang’s actions precisely because they had been victimized by him.

While everyone was packing, Dan Ryeong-gyeong called Jin Ja-gang to the adjacent room for a private conversation.

“I’ve recovered a considerable portion of my internal energy, but since we don’t know what might happen ahead, I want to transmit the remaining oral instructions of the Jade Void Nine Light Five Thunder Toad Technique in advance.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong sat cross-legged and had Jin Ja-gang sit facing her in the same position. However, Jin Ja-gang had problems with the qi and blood in his left side, so he couldn’t sit cross-legged properly and his posture was crooked. This was also due to having limped for many years.

“When the ankle twists to the left, the waist twists to the right, and when the waist twists to the right, the spine twists to the left, gradually throwing off the body’s balance. In your case, young hero, your left shoulder is sunken, so you’re twisted in all directions – up, down, left, and right.”

“I’m aware of it. Living in a narrow space for a long time made me this way.”

For eight years, he had chiseled with picks while crouching as much as possible in mine shaft caves. He had walked through dark tunnels on his tiptoes, feeling his way. Even a normal person’s muscles and bones would have twisted under such circumstances.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong nodded as if understanding. If he was aware of it, there was no need to nag unnecessarily.

“You’ve heard about the origins of the Five Thunder Toad Technique that I mentioned before. The Toad Technique is a Taoist martial art that dams flowing internal energy and then bursts it all at once to explosively generate internal energy. However, since it often leads to the demonic path of evil, orthodox practitioners are generally advised to avoid learning it.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong paused briefly before continuing.

“Also, the Five Thunder Heaven-Shaking Technique is a method used by the demonic path, a mental cultivation method that maximizes power by rotating internal energy in specific meridian sections. It can be said to have the same roots as Mad Blood Heaven technique.”

That’s why Dan Ryeong-gyeong knew about Mad Blood Heaven technique and why Jin Ja-gang could quickly become familiar with the Five Thunder Toad Technique.

“The Five Thunder Toad Technique combines the advantages of both. Rather than simply damming water, it creates five whirlpools to generate much more turbulent internal energy currents. This is called Whirlpool Dam Breaking, and the five whirlpools each symbolize the Five Elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.”

Whirlpools.

What had felt like cart wheels to Jin Ja-gang.

“Whirlpool Dam Breaking…”

“However, the Toad Technique concentrates internal energy in the meridians that serve as dams, creating serious risk of internal injuries, while the Five Thunder Heaven-Shaking Technique damages and ruptures the meridians in the sections where whirlpools occur. Both are certainly supreme divine techniques, but they are mental cultivation methods that use one’s own lifespan as collateral. Therefore, even martial artists whose internal energy exceeds twenty years are considered to be in danger if they use such mental cultivation methods for more than ten years.”

Jin Ja-gang’s current condition was exactly that. Every time he used internal energy, his meridians were destroyed and blood vessels torn. Mad Blood Heaven technique was a martial art that continuously injured oneself.

“Nevertheless, the reason I’m transmitting this martial art to you, young hero, is because when one reaches the pinnacle of the Five Thunder Toad Technique, the only path that can offset those side effects opens up.”

“That is…”

“That is precisely the Jade Void Nine Light Five Thunder Toad Technique.”

“Then what I learned isn’t the complete Jade Void Nine Light Five Thunder Toad Technique?”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong nodded.

“Nine Light refers to when Buddha held sermons in nine places, and the white tiger emitted light from its eyes nine times. Jade Void Nine Light means nine locations within the body, and by building dams in each location to disperse the whirlpools, it pursues much more stable power. That is, nine dams are created. If you, young hero, have succeeded in gathering power in one of them – the middle dantian – then you can be considered ready to begin the Jade Void Nine Light Five Thunder Toad Technique.”

Suddenly Jin Ja-gang asked.

“There’s one thing I’d like to ask.”

“Go ahead.”

“You said the Jade Void Nine Light Five Thunder Toad Technique is related to Qingcheng Sect. Also, from your words, it seems you’re not on good terms with them now. So why didn’t you object when I suggested we go that way?”

“As I said, the person who completed the Jade Void Nine Light Five Thunder Toad Technique is Qingcheng Sect’s sect leader, Dark Venerable Master. The person we actually need to be careful of is rather Dark Venerable Master’s junior brother, Taoist Bok-cheon… Anyway, the reason I didn’t oppose going to Qingcheng Mountain was because I thought your suggestion that it would be safer there was valid. Also…”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong smiled faintly with her pale face.

“I was curious how far your luck extends. I’ve only managed to build five of the Nine Lights and haven’t even seen the remaining Four Lights. Therefore, I can’t advise you about the subsequent profound mysteries.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong spoke to Jin Ja-gang as if entreating.

“If you, young hero, are interested in the Jade Void Nine Light Five Thunder Toad Technique and want to open the final path, you’ll need to obtain the remaining profound mysteries that I couldn’t get from Dark Venerable Master.”

The side effects of Mad Blood Heaven technique – qi and blood being destroyed, the body deteriorating and dying.

If there was a way to offset those side effects, Jin Ja-gang had to try as far as he could.

Not wanting to die was no different for Jin Ja-gang than for others. He had simply often prepared for death in order not to die. He had simply thought he could die at any time.

“I understand.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong smiled.

“My judgment that you were weak was very wrong. You are stronger than anyone else, young hero.”

It was certain this wasn’t just referring to Jin Ja-gang’s martial arts.

—

Jin Ja-gang received the oral instructions for the Jade Void Nine Light Five Thunder Toad Technique from Dan Ryeong-gyeong.

The oral instructions were still difficult and required deep enlightenment.

However, the learning speed was completely different from when he had to go through trial and error entirely alone without a proper teacher. When he asked about parts he was curious about, he could immediately get satisfactory answers.

Therefore, Jin Ja-gang could memorize and understand the oral instructions very quickly while correcting his mistakes.

—

“Without… a roof?”

Bian Bu was flustered looking at the cart placed before them.

Surprisingly, the cart Jin Ja-gang had requested had no roof. Jin Ja-gang’s boldness was beyond absurd.

While their appearances could be roughly concealed by wearing long robes, the five people excluding the evil faction member were the problem.

An old man with a rat mustache, Dan Ryeong-gyeong with outstanding beauty, a young Taoist and a mute girl, and Jin Ja-gang with handsome features for a man.

If there was someone who knew them and had been pursuing them from Sichuan, this was a composition that would seem suspicious at least once.

Bian Bu was at a loss for words.

“It feels like being dragged to a battlefield as an arrow target without even a shield.”

Woon-jeong was also so surprised he couldn’t close his mouth.

“Are you seriously planning to travel in this thing?”

Soso also looked fearfully at the open cart. Dan Ryeong-gyeong was equally incredulous and just chuckled.

Jin Ja-gang explained to the group.

“If the danger of not being discovered because of one roof is negligible, then not having one would be much less risky.”

Jin Ja-gang loaded the cart, which was like a wagon without a roof, with plenty of food. Alcohol, meat, and even snacks. To anyone watching, it looked like they were going on a pleasure trip.

They even decided to part ways here with the evil faction member who knew the route. After all that, Jin Ja-gang climbed onto the driver’s seat and took the reins with absurd composure.

Bian Bu looked at the sky and grumbled.

“It looks like it’s going to rain…”