Chapter 9

According to what Turan learned from his mother, marriage between man and woman was truly sacred.

A ceremony swearing undying love until death in the name of God.

When he showed a blank expression at such an important thing being mentioned so casually, Izella waved her hand while giggling.

"What's with that reaction? I was just joking!"

"Young lady, please…"

"Alright. But think about it! My position is currently vacant!"

Izella said this before quickly disappearing down the corridor.

The butler, who kept apologizing while wiping his forehead with difficulty, looked like he had aged ten years in an instant.

Shortly after, Turan entered through the most grand and imposing door in the castle.

An office filled with stuffed masu, antique furniture, and luxurious decorations.

Seated in a chair at its center was Rug Baltas, head of House Baltas and lord of Orem city.

"Welcome, young noble. You already know my name?"

"I am Turan."

Behind the Baltas head stood a man and woman wearing swords respectfully, who seemed to be knights guarding him based on the atmosphere.

Though it seemed pointless for a noble of his status to have knight guards.

At Turan's words, Rug asked with what seemed like interest.

"Turan, is that all?"

"Due to hostile houses, I cannot reveal my house."

"Hmm, what major conflicts of that scale have happened recently? Hardith and Corel, Ire and Kelau, Arabion and Jahar-"

The moment he heard Arabion and Jahar's names, Turan concentrated on not showing his emotional reaction on his face.

After listing several house names this way, when the other showed no reaction at all, Rug snorted as if finding it boring.

"Well, we currently have no hostile houses anyway. Just believe that when the Baltas bloodline comes under your protection in the future, we will receive the same hospitality we showed you."

"I promise."

Thus, nobles hosting other nobles as guests was a promise to respect each other and avoid conflict.

If one refused hospitality despite entering another house's territory, it was equivalent to declaring to the territory's master 'I am not your guest. I came with evil intentions.'

This aligned with the customs of hospitality Turan had learned from his mother.

"So, you want to use the library? For what purpose?"

"Due to my unique upbringing environment, there's much I don't know, so I want to learn about the world through books."

Hearing this, Rug snorted.

"I'll tell you in advance since quite a few people come looking after hearing strange things – there are no amazing ancient magic or secrets for increasing magic power in the library."

"That's fine. I wasn't hoping for such things."

Turan expressed that he didn't care at all.

He truly just wanted to learn what he didn't know from living his whole life on the hills.

Rug stared at Turan before shaking his head.

"If you want, there's no reason not to let you in. There are no secrets related to our house in there anyway. Since there's some time today, rest and we'll see tomorrow. Is that alright?"

"I won't forget your lordship's kindness."

"Yes, I believe you won't."

A meaningful smile played on Rug's lips as he nodded while looking this way.

* * *

The next day, Turan left the castle accompanied by one Baltas knight and headed to the library.

The guard at the entrance – a different person from yesterday – nodded after seeing the paper with the head's signature.

"Entry permit confirmed, noble one. Welcome to the Sky Library."

What first greeted Turan upon entering were several desks and chairs, and spiral stairs installed along the round wall.

Despite no windows, white light from a round sphere in the ceiling brightly illuminated the interior.

Going inside, a middle-aged man sitting at a desk greeted Turan.

"Pleased to meet you, Sir Turan. I am the librarian here. As per the head's orders, I will explain the rules for using this place."

The Sky Library's usage rules weren't very complicated.

First, if library books or facilities are damaged, compensate according to the amount set by the house.

Second, no removing books from the library.

To Turan, it seemed like just listing things that obviously shouldn't be done.

"Also, while you use the library, I must always watch from behind to check for rule violations."

As soon as the librarian finished explaining, Turan immediately climbed the stairs.

Coming up to the second floor, he saw bookshelves installed in the center space, and hundreds of books placed on them.

"Oh…"

Midan's words about thousands of books seemed to have understated the truth.

Considering the building's height, it wouldn't be strange to have tens of thousands rather than thousands of books.

But after climbing up three or four more floors, many bookshelves started being completely empty at some point.

From around the tenth floor there wasn't a single book shelved, and when the following librarian said there were no books above this, Turan went back down to the second floor.

"The number of books seems a bit lacking compared to the library's size."

"This library was built during the old empire era, and many books were lost as Orem city's ownership changed several times through wars."

The old empire.

A term he had heard in passing a few times from his mother.

In the distant ancient past, wasn't it a country established when the Prea divine race defeated other races and conquered the world?

But after the gods ascended, the empire collapsed as their noble descendants turned against each other, leading to today's society where various magician houses compete.

Looking at the densely packed books on the second floor, Turan turned to the librarian behind him.

"As a librarian, you must have read the books here."

"Yes. Finding necessary books for users is also part of my job."

"What books would be good for gaining basic knowledge?"

Considering everything said here could be reported to the head, Turan chose his words carefully.

Hearing this, the librarian tilted his head briefly before starting to pull out several books from here and there.

After going up and down floors several times, he placed over ten books on a desk on the first floor.

"Many books here are hundreds to thousands of years old, so they're not suitable for what the noble one wants. I think reading these books would be more helpful."

"Thank you."

Turan expressed gratitude before sitting in a chair and examining one book from various angles.

The cover was thick cowhide, the paper made of well-processed parchment, and inside were densely packed letters that seemed engraved one by one by a craftsman.

An object that felt like a work of art in itself.

'So this is a book…'

Turan felt complex emotions about easily obtaining what his mother had longed for so much as he opened the book.

Though he stumbled a bit since he had learned reading and writing by scratching sand with tree branches, he could read well enough.

The book's title was 'World Travel Journal'.

Past the preface praising some unknown book sponsor, the main content began.

The author was a noble born in a small city north of Orem, who traveled east wanting to see the end of the world.

The content of the story captured Turan's attention completely.

Mountain pass passages that only opened once a day left and right, blind dwarves hiding there eating passing people.

Endless desert where sand boiled during day and froze at night.

Forest fairies, mermaids singing and luring people on reefs in the endlessly waving sea…

The ability to describe environments he had never seen in his life so vividly it was almost eerie truly seemed like magic.

Around halfway through the book, Turan felt hunger and closed it after memorizing what he had read.

'Amazing.'

Now he knew what amazing terrain lay to the east, and how the other races he had only vaguely heard names of looked, what ecology and culture they had.

This much just from reading half of one book – what more would he learn after reading all of them?

His chest pounded with anticipation.

* * *

After receiving permission to enter the library, Turan repeated a daily routine of reading books at the library every morning and returning to the castle only in the evening.

On the second day, he learned how great houses and ordinary magician houses interact with each other, and what systems they use to manage cities and villages.

On the third day, he learned in detail what materials from which regions were processed how to make the items he had thoughtlessly passed by.

On the fourth day, through a masu guide he learned what powers different creatures typically awakened as masu, what physical characteristics symbolized what powers.

On the fifth day, he learned many relics from the old empire era were still scattered and remained around the world.

From this library to the stone road he had seen on the way to Orem were among them.

As he accumulated such knowledge piece by piece, the world that had seemed just unknown space became increasingly clear.

The feeling of evolving from an ignorant shepherd boy into something a bit better…

Though there wasn't the base pleasure like when eating delicious food or gaining magic power, he felt a separate intellectual satisfaction.

And on the sixth day.

Heading to the library, Turan received a summons from Rug.

Seeing Turan arrive at his office, he immediately stated his business.

"I hear you're making very good use of the library?"

"Yes."

"I believe you know that allowing you to use the library was a favor, separate from treating you as a noble. I'd like to receive payment for that now."

"Please speak."

If they heard this side only took without granting requests, wouldn't they soon tell him to get lost?

Usually nobles host visiting guests for three to four days by custom.

For Turan who had slightly exceeded this, there was need to grant his request.

"Recently a masu appeared north of Orem and has been attacking passing people."

"You want me to hunt it?"

At Turan's question, Rug nodded.

"Four knights who went to eliminate it were eaten without returning. It seems a noble must step in directly, but we can only mobilize two. If you join making three, it would be much safer."

House Baltas consisted of six total members – Rug's couple, Rug's sibling, daughter and two nephews.

Among them, Rug's sibling and one nephew had gone out as lords of other cities besides Orem, he himself had to protect the city in case of emergency, and his wife wasn't skilled in combat.

Therefore, the calculation was that only two nobles could be mobilized – his daughter and nephew.

"I understand."

He readily agreed both because he hadn't gained any practical experience or magic power lately from staying inside reading books, and because he recalled Keorn's words from the past.

That humans were always threatened in their living grounds by masu, so magicians must defeat them…

Though Orem's commoners weren't Turan's sheep, everything he ate, drank and wore must have come from them.

As shepherds must protect sheep from wolves in exchange for living off their wool and meat.

Just as he nodded, one question suddenly occurred.

Thinking of what Murei's official had said, nobles and knights weren't very active in masu hunting, so why was he responding so actively?

When asked indirectly, Rug answered.

"The northern road it's blocking is an important trade route. It's been blocked for ten days already so we need to open it quickly."

Ten days…

Turan recalled Rug's meaningful smile five days ago when he said he wanted to use the library.

He felt rather relieved now understanding why library use had been readily permitted.

Chapter 9: The Disciple Looks to the Master, the Master Comforts the Disciple (Part 3)

Emerald Cloud Palace.

It was the name of the Taoist hall at the summit of Lotus Peak on Mount Hua. The hall, which was predominantly red in hue, was special for one reason alone: it was the residence of the Grandmaster of the Mount Hua Sect.

From Emerald Cloud Palace, the entirety of the Mount Hua Sect lay spread below. The towering peaks, the distant Huaam County—everything was visible. But what was most remarkable was the spectacle of countless stars that filled the sky at night and the sunrise that greeted the dawn.

The current Grandmaster of the Mount Hua Sect was Sage Hyeon-cheon. He was relatively young for the leader of one of the Nine Great Sects—barely into his early fifties.

Sage Hyeon-cheon had assumed the position of Grandmaster in his thirties with no preparation whatsoever, and twenty years had since passed. In that time, he had earned praise for leading the Mount Hua Sect better than anyone could have.

Across a small table from Sage Hyeon-cheon sat a middle-aged Taoist. The Taoist, who radiated an aura sharp as a blade's edge, was Sage Hyeon-geom.

Sage Hyeon-cheon set down the teacup in his hand and spoke.

"Your achievement is truly remarkable, Junior Brother. At last, the Mount Hua Sect possesses a master of whom it need not be ashamed. This Elder Brother can rest easy."

"I am still far from where I need to be. To restore the former glory of the Mount Hua Sect, I must press onward."

"You are dependable."

Sage Hyeon-cheon smiled at the taciturn Sage Hyeon-geom.

'My Junior Brother's attainment is truly extraordinary. The day we restore Mount Hua's glory draws near.'

Might was the measure of a sect's stature.

For a sect to flourish, it needed not a hundred mediocre masters but one supreme master. And that was precisely what the Mount Hua Sect needed now.

"You have worked hard. The path you walk will become the path of Mount Hua. Do not forget that this Elder Brother is always cheering you on."

"It is thanks to your sacrifice, Senior Brother. Without you, the Mount Hua Sect could not have risen from ruins so quickly."

"Both you and I have endured much."

A shadow crossed Sage Hyeon-cheon's eyes.

Twenty years ago, when he had become Grandmaster, everything had been dark and hopeless. The senior masters who should have guided the next generation had all perished, and the sect's lineage was on the verge of extinction.

He had not known what to do or where to begin. His heart had been heavy, and tears had flowed without restraint.

But he had to do something. Sage Hyeon-cheon had poured everything he had into the revival of the Mount Hua Sect. In the process, he had not even had time to practice martial arts.

In the end, Sage Hyeon-cheon had been forced to choose. And so he had abandoned martial arts. Instead, he had poured all his resources into Sage Hyeon-geom—the most talented of his fellow disciples. The Mount Hua Sect's secret manuals, the few remaining rare elixirs—all of it.

Though he had been unable to pass on the Self-Nature Heart Method due to the restriction that only the Grandmaster could learn it, Sage Hyeon-geom had gained insights no less profound.

While Sage Hyeon-geom devoted himself to martial arts, Sage Hyeon-cheon had run himself ragged for the sake of the Mount Hua Sect's revival. He had met with outer disciples to request support, sought out other sects for cooperation.

He had lived like a madman for twenty years, and in the end, the Mount Hua Sect of today had been forged. Sage Hyeon-geom knew this. And so he respected Sage Hyeon-cheon more than anyone.

"Now that you have emerged from seclusion, we have some room to maneuver."

"Now I shall assist you, Senior Brother."

"Just hearing those words bolsters my spirits. Now all that remains is to raise a disciple who can inherit your attainment. A second sword of Mount Hua must emerge before I can manage the sect with a clear mind. How goes the selection of your disciple?"

"It progresses well."

"That is a relief. I shall bestow upon your chosen disciple a Plum Blossom Divine Elixir, as a special gift."

"Thank you, Grandmaster."

The Plum Blossom Divine Elixir was the supreme elixir of the Mount Hua Sect, granted only to the one who would become Grandmaster.

Its formula had been lost, and no more could be made. Of the remaining supply, only two pills existed. To bestow such a rare treasure upon the one who would become Sage Hyeon-geom's disciple was a testament to the immense expectations placed upon them.

Sage Hyeon-cheon smiled.

This was a matter of finding the one who would inherit the sword of Mount Hua. It was a matter of the utmost importance—no carelessness could be tolerated.

"Among the First Generation Disciples, is there anyone who stands out?"

In that instant, a slight furrow appeared between Sage Hyeon-geom's brows. He was thinking of what had happened earlier that day.

Those intense eyes that had gazed at him—it did not seem likely to fade from memory anytime soon.

Sage Hyeon-cheon shook his head.

"The First Generation Disciples have already reached a certain level of completion. It would not be easy for them to receive my martial arts from that state."

"Then you intend to look among the Second Generation Disciples and the outer disciples as well?"

"Talent knows no rank. To become the sword that represents the great Mount Hua Sect requires perfect talent and blood-soaked effort."

"So it would seem."

Sage Hyeon-cheon nodded.

Just as the two men were about to smile—

Kwahh!

The doors of Emerald Cloud Palace burst open as though they might shatter. And the figure who appeared, face flushed crimson with fury, was none other than Sage Hyeon-so.

"Sage Hyeon-geom."

He fixed Sage Hyeon-geom with a blazing stare.

Sage Hyeon-geom was, remarkably, composed. But Sage Hyeon-cheon's reaction was different.

"What is the meaning of this? Sage Hyeon-so. Surely you know where you are—do you think that gives you license to raise your voice?"

"I came because I heard Sage Hyeon-geom was here. Grandmaster."

At Sage Hyeon-so's heated reaction, Sage Hyeon-cheon turned to Sage Hyeon-geom. His eyes asked the question.

Sage Hyeon-geom spoke.

"Have you come because of your disciple?"

"Yes! Why on earth did you brutalize that child so? Did he do something to harm you?"

"No, nothing of the sort occurred."

"Then why did you do it?"

Sage Hyeon-so stared at Sage Hyeon-geom as though he might devour him.

Until now, Sage Hyeon-so had never shown a flicker of emotional turmoil in the Mount Hua Sect. This was the first time he had ever displayed such violent emotion.

The wound to his beloved disciple had driven Sage Hyeon-so to lose his reason. He had come here to confront the one responsible.

Even under the weight of Sage Hyeon-so's fury, Sage Hyeon-geom did not move a muscle.

"Because that is the path that is best for the child."

"Making a wreck of him is what is best for him?"

"No. Abandoning martial arts is what is best for him."

"What utter nonsense!"

Sage Hyeon-so slammed his fist upon the table. The impact sent teacups crashing to the floor.

"Junior Brother, compose yourself."

Sage Hyeon-cheon's brow furrowed, and his voice rose. But Sage Hyeon-so paid him no heed, his eyes fixed on Sage Hyeon-geom.

"Why is abandoning martial arts what is best for him?"

"Do you truly not know?"

"I do not. Truly. I do not know."

"He is a cripple, is he not? How can a boy with a crippled leg ever achieve greatness in the Mount Hua Sect's martial arts? I too find his talent regrettable, but nothing could be done."

"Because he limps, he must not practice martial arts?"

"In other sects, perhaps not—but the martial arts of the Mount Hua Sect are not so gentle that a cripple can master them."

"Senior Brother! I am truly disappointed in you. How can the greatest swordsman of Mount Hua utter such words?"

"And why should the greatest swordsman of Mount Hua not say such things?"

For the first time, anger surfaced on Sage Hyeon-geom's previously expressionless face.

He stepped toward Sage Hyeon-so.

"I tell you, for the sake of the Mount Hua Sect's revival, I will do whatever it takes."

"What does that have to do with ruining my disciple?"

"Did I not tell you? For the child's sake. It is better for him not to harbor futile dreams."

"Sophistry!"

"How is that sophistry? You know it yourself—how difficult and arduous the path of martial arts is. Why else would the Heaven Vault Master have chosen you—a man of limited talent—as his disciple, rather than giving that opportunity to more gifted students? I have never understood it."

In that instant, Sage Hyeon-so's face twisted.

"Senior Brother!"

"I still cannot understand the Heaven Vault Master's choice. Why did he take a disciple with inadequate talent, thereby denying the opportunity to more gifted students? I truly cannot comprehend it."

"That was—"

Sage Hyeon-geom's face had flushed red. Seeing this, Sage Hyeon-so closed his eyes.

'So Senior Brother has carried that incident in his heart all this time.'

It was an event from more than forty years ago.

At that time, the Heaven Vault Master—the greatest martial artist of Mount Hua and a swordsman famous throughout the world—selecting a disciple had been the foremost concern of the Mount Hua Sect. Every disciple naturally aspired to become the Heaven Vault Master's student.

The obvious genius of that era was Sage Hyeon-geom. He had been confident that he would naturally be chosen.

But the one the Heaven Vault Master had selected was Sage Hyeon-so—and having chosen him, the Heaven Vault Master had led him toward the path of a Scholar Taoist rather than passing on his martial arts.

It was an event that left an indelible wound on the ambitious geniuses who had yearned to become the Heaven Vault Master's disciple. And among them, none had been more disappointed than Sage Hyeon-geom.

'If I had received private instruction from the Heaven Vault Master, the Mount Hua Sect would not have endured such difficult times.'

Sage Hyeon-geom clenched his fist.

To achieve his current attainment, he had been forced to take the longest possible detour—when a shorter path had been right before his eyes.

"I did not want the Junior Brother's disciple to wander down a long road before confirming reality. The martial world is not a kind place where cripples can survive. I wanted to show him that quickly. So I used somewhat extreme methods. I apologize for that. But even now, I do not regret my decision."

Sage Hyeon-geom's resolute gaze and tone struck a deep wound in Sage Hyeon-so's heart. His bloodshot eyes proved it.

Sage Hyeon-so turned to Sage Hyeon-cheon.

"What do you think, Grandmaster? Do you believe Sage Hyeon-geom's words are correct?"

At his junior brother's question, Sage Hyeon-cheon closed his eyes tightly. Having heard both sides, he understood how thorny this situation was.

The Grandmaster of the Mount Hua Sect could not afford to render a biased decision. It was an exceedingly difficult position.

Sage Hyeon-cheon addressed Sage Hyeon-so.

"Sage Hyeon-so—is this disciple the boy you took in five years ago?"

"Yes. Grandmaster, did you not also approve of taking that child in? If so, then he is a legitimate member of the Mount Hua Sect. Is it truly so wrong for such a child to practice martial arts? Please, tell me."

"…"

Sage Hyeon-cheon fell into deep deliberation.

He realized the moment of choice had arrived.

Whichever side he supported would determine the future of the Mount Hua Sect.

'The Mount Hua I desire is a perfect Mount Hua—a sect unshaken by any outside force.'

In that moment, Sage Hyeon-cheon made his decision.

"Accepting that child five years ago was my mistake. Had you not asked, I would never have admitted him as a disciple of the Mount Hua Sect."

"Senior Brother?"

Sage Hyeon-so cried out in shock. But Sage Hyeon-cheon continued without pause.

"When Cheong-gyeong awoke, I saw in his eyes the vengeance and killing intent that enveloped him. It was not the kind of thing a child should possess."

Sage Hyeon-cheon's body trembled slightly, as though the memory of that day was vividly returning.

The eyes of one who has killed.

A twelve-year-old boy had possessed eyes that spoke of the willingness to kill whenever necessary.

"If that child learns proper martial arts, he will surely bring calamity upon the Mount Hua Sect."

"What nonsense—"

"I support Sage Hyeon-geom's decision. Let this matter never be raised again, Sage Hyeon-so."

"Grandmaster!"

"This is the decision of the Grandmaster of the Great Mount Hua Sect. It will not be reversed."

Sage Hyeon-so collapsed to the floor. His shoulders shook with tremors.

Sage Hyeon-geom's gaze was cold. Sage Hyeon-cheon's eyes held sympathy. But neither intended to reverse the decision.

After a long while, Sage Hyeon-so staggered to his feet.

"Yes. I understand the Grandmaster's will."

In that brief time, Sage Hyeon-so had wrestled with so many emotions that his face had aged visibly.

He looked at both men in turn.

"Watch and see. Cheong-gyeong will not give up as things stand now. One day, that child will show you just how wrong your prejudice has been."

"I pray that will be so."

"Guide the child well and help him become a fine Scholar Taoist. That, too, is for the child's own good."

Sage Hyeon-so answered with a sorrowful smile rather than words.

He turned and walked from Emerald Cloud Palace. Sage Hyeon-cheon and Sage Hyeon-geom watched his retreating figure in silence.

Sage Hyeon-so's frame looked as though it might collapse at any moment. But he held firm.

He had found a reason he absolutely could not fall.

'Ho-ya, I will never give up on you.'

“Please… please stop. My eye, my eye…”

Mang-ryo looked surprised.

“Heh heh, begging for your life? It’s been three months. You’ve finally given up after three months.”

Had it already been three months? Jin Ja-gang had no idea.

But that wasn’t important now. His eye hurt so badly he couldn’t bear it.

“Save me! Aaaagh.”

At that moment, anger flashed across Mang-ryo’s previously smiling face.

Mang-ryo shouted as if he had become a different person:

“If you were going to beg for your life, you should have thought about days like this before making my foot like this!”

As Mang-ryo shouted and released his killing intent, the startled twin-spotted paradise widow spider frantically bit Jin Ja-gang’s face all over.

“Aaaaargh!”

Jin Ja-gang screamed, shaking his head. The poison was so excessive that his entire face swelled up instantly. His eyes and mouth were buried so deeply they couldn’t be seen.

“Kuk kuk kuk!”

Mang-ryo laughed, pleased at Jin Ja-gang’s ruined appearance. But Jin Ja-gang was in no condition to laugh. As a result of his face swelling so severely, his nasal passages and airways were compressed, making breathing impossible.

“Kkeuk, kkeuik.”

Jin Ja-gang’s body began to convulse.

No matter how resistant to poison Jin Ja-gang might be, he would die if he couldn’t breathe.

A feeling of death unlike anything he had felt before enveloped his entire body.

Jin Ja-gang was terrified. Yet, at the same time, part of him was almost glad at the thought that he could finally die.

But due to the intelligence decoction, his consciousness still wouldn’t fade. It was a strange situation where he was clearly aware of his body ceasing to function.

Watching this, Mang-ryo’s laughter gradually subsided. His expression became stoic, then began to distort again.

When Mang-ryo checked Jin Ja-gang’s condition, he saw that Jin Ja-gang was at death’s door, unable to breathe.

If he waited for the poisoning symptoms to subside, Jin Ja-gang would simply die.

“This damned situation!”

This was a child he had hated enough to want to kill.

Because of him, Mang-ryo had become one-legged, and his standing within the Extreme Poison Sect had instantly diminished.

Back then, he had wanted to kill Jin Ja-gang, slicing through his flesh and bones. That was certainly how he felt three months ago.

But now, he hesitated.

He felt it would be a waste.

Recently, the Extreme Poison Sect had joined the Martial Arts Alliance. Outwardly, they were now considered a righteous sect. It was no longer as easy as before to kidnap living people for experimental materials through human trafficking or abduction.

In this situation, Jin Ja-gang’s body—which returned to normal no matter what was done to it—was a precious experimental material that would be difficult to find again.

Mang-ryo had to make a choice.

Whether to let Jin Ja-gang die like this, or actively try to save him.

“Nnnngh!”

There wasn’t much time to deliberate. If he just kept thinking and Jin Ja-gang died, Mang-ryo might regret it deeply.

After a brief moment of consideration, Mang-ryo finally decided to save Jin Ja-gang. He judged that the benefits of keeping him alive outweighed those of letting him die.

He had already gained considerable knowledge from experimenting with various poisons on Jin Ja-gang. These days, Mang-ryo was at the forefront of poison research within the Extreme Poison Sect, and it was all thanks to Jin Ja-gang. Of course, being pushed out of fieldwork was also a factor.

“To think I would end up saving this bastard.”

Mang-ryo frowned. Though he had decided to save him, the method wasn’t simple.

With Jin Ja-gang’s throat swollen, administering medicinal decoctions or antidotes was impossible.

Another option was to cut open the affected area and squeeze out the poison. But because so many parts of his face had been bitten, removing the poison would require cutting away half his face, including his eye.

In that case, there was no way Jin Ja-gang could survive.

The only remaining option was to use internal energy to expel as much poison as possible from Jin Ja-gang’s body. If the poison was expelled, the symptoms would subside more quickly, and Jin Ja-gang’s body could handle the remaining poison on its own. This method had the highest probability of survival.

However, to do this, he would first need to open Jin Ja-gang’s completely blocked energy channels to guide the poison. Since these channels were so blocked that poison couldn’t spread in the first place, this was by no means an easy task.

‘If I had known this would happen, I would have had him bitten on the leg. Then I could have simply cut off one leg and been done with it! Aish!’

Mang-ryo clicked his tongue and took off his deerskin gloves.

Then he untied the ropes binding Jin Ja-gang.

After three months of just lying down, Jin Ja-gang had little muscle left in his limbs and had become emaciated.

Mang-ryo placed Jin Ja-gang on the floor and summoned his internal energy.

“Hoo.”

After taking a deep breath, he placed his palm on Jin Ja-gang’s Baihui acupoint. The internal energy from the center of Mang-ryo’s palm penetrated Jin Ja-gang’s Baihui acupoint.

Jin Ja-gang’s completely blocked Baihui acupoint rejected Mang-ryo’s internal energy. As Mang-ryo exerted his energy, his face turned red with effort.

Mang-ryo’s internal energy was at the level of one gapja. That was considered fairly high.

But properly opening energy channels usually required at least three gapja of internal energy. Nevertheless, Mang-ryo, with his one gapja, was attempting to open the channels because he didn’t need to fully open them—just create a tiny gap.

After a long struggle, pouring in his internal energy while grunting, Mang-ryo finally managed to slightly open Jin Ja-gang’s Baihui acupoint. It was just a tiny gap. He hadn’t even dreamed of opening it completely from the beginning.

Then he proceeded to open the next energy points in sequence. These weren’t properly opened either, just narrow passages barely wide enough for a thin thread to pass through. Even to do just this much, Mang-ryo’s entire body was drenched in sweat.

“Nngh!”

Through these narrow openings, Mang-ryo guided the poison accumulated throughout Jin Ja-gang’s face.

He continued connecting the energy points, guiding the poison through the shoulders, forearms, and finally to the right hand.

After connecting the poison all the way to the Shaoze acupoint at the tip of the little finger, he quickly stood up, took a dagger, and cut the tip of Jin Ja-gang’s little finger.

Dark red blood flowed out, followed by drops of clear fluid. The poison that had been drawn from Jin Ja-gang’s face had dissolved into the body’s fluid.

Mang-ryo collected the blood along with the poisonous fluid in a small vial.

He couldn’t just waste such expensive poison. He would have to use it even if he had to filter out Jin Ja-gang’s blood.

Though he wanted to extract more poison, Mang-ryo was now completely drained of energy. Not only his forehead but his entire body was soaked in sweat.

“This should be enough to keep him alive.”

Mang-ryo exhaled deeply as he closed the vial’s stopper and put it away. His limbs were trembling. When he checked Jin Ja-gang’s condition, he saw that, though feeble, he was still breathing. An ordinary person would have died long ago, if not from suffocation, then from the poison itself.

Once poison begins to spread throughout the body, it’s generally accepted that even a highly skilled martial artist can hardly expel the poison using internal energy.

Of course, since Jin Ja-gang’s body prevented poison from spreading, he could survive, and that’s why the poison could still be extracted after so much time had passed.

“Tough bastard.”

Mang-ryo stabbed Jin Ja-gang’s throat below the neck with his dagger.

Hissssss.

Bloody foam and air escaped. Since the upper part of the throat was swollen, he had made a hole lower down to allow temporary breathing.

Having roughly removed the poison, he expected that with Jin Ja-gang’s unique body, the swelling would soon subside, and by then, the hole in his throat would heal.

Mang-ryo glared at Jin Ja-gang.

It had been a very long time since he had used up his internal energy so completely. It would take quite a while to recover it.

“To think I would do this for the likes of you…”

Looking at Jin Ja-gang with irritated eyes, Mang-ryo couldn’t contain his anger and kicked him.

Thud!

Jin Ja-gang rolled over and fell face down. Though the shackles binding his limbs had been removed, his body was still unable to move.

Mang-ryo approached Jin Ja-gang, grabbed his hair as if to tear it out, and lifted him. Then he spoke with a growl:

“I will use you until the very end. Until I die of old age or am struck by lightning, you will not escape me, even in death.”

Mang-ryo tossed Jin Ja-gang aside and stood up.

His clothes were dirty from touching Jin Ja-gang, who was covered in sweat and hadn’t been properly washed.

Mang-ryo was about to leave the room to wash and change clothes when he hesitated momentarily.

He realized he hadn’t tied Jin Ja-gang up.

But the sprawled Jin Ja-gang didn’t look like he could possibly get up. Anyway, after being tied up for three months, he lacked the strength to move, and just locking the door would be enough to prevent his escape.

Moreover, this was inside the Extreme Poison Sect; even if he somehow managed to get out of the room, there was nowhere to run.

“Hmph.”

Mang-ryo snorted as if to dispel any lingering unease, then left the room and locked the door.

But as soon as Mang-ryo locked the door, Jin Ja-gang’s seemingly motionless body stirred.

Jin Ja-gang’s consciousness was perfectly clear.

He had been conscious throughout all the pain and agony, even as he was dying. He vividly remembered the pain, like his energy channels being torn apart, when Mang-ryo used his internal energy to open the channels. He just couldn’t scream because his throat was blocked, and he couldn’t struggle because his body was stiff.

And he was fully aware that he was now untied.

Jin Ja-gang opened his swollen eyes with difficulty. The room’s interior came into view, albeit hazily.

‘This is my only chance!’

Such an opportunity might never come again.

The room contained many living venomous creatures and books that Mang-ryo treasured. Perhaps that’s why no one else had visited during this time. Judging by the lack of human sounds, it seemed to be in a somewhat remote location.

Though he didn’t know how much time had passed, he remembered everything that had happened because he had never lost consciousness.

Jin Ja-gang crawled along the floor toward the door.

He barely managed to lift his hand and push, but the locked door wouldn’t open. The door, reinforced with thick planks because of the venomous creatures inside, would be difficult for Jin Ja-gang to open even if it weren’t locked.

Breathing through the hole in his throat rather than his mouth, Jin Ja-gang crawled to the opposite side of the room. Even this much movement was taxing because he hadn’t moved for so long.

At the far end of the room, there was a trapdoor in the floor with a handle.

‘This is it!’

The opening he had seen countless times.

It was a hole for disposing of the remains or waste from venomous creatures after Mang-ryo’s various experiments. Jin Ja-gang, after resting briefly, pulled the handle on the floor with his hand. Due to his lack of strength, it didn’t work well. He bit the handle with his teeth. Then he pulled upward with all his might.

Creeeeak.

The handle lifted slightly.

Jin Ja-gang, tears streaming down his face, used all his strength. His body trembled violently, and his neck was about to cramp, but he didn’t stop.

If not now, there would be no next time!

He wanted to live. He didn’t want to suffer any more.

Jin Ja-gang desperately pulled the handle.

Finally, as the handle lifted, the trapdoor in the floor opened.

Clunk.

As soon as the trapdoor opened, the smell of rot and a fresh breeze wafted up simultaneously.

Jin Ja-gang was elated.

The feeling of a breeze meant it was connected to the outside somewhere.

Jin Ja-gang pushed the trapdoor aside and looked down into the hole.

His blurry vision made it difficult to see clearly. It was a hole made by connecting hollowed logs like a drainage pipe, but he couldn’t tell how deep it was or where it led.

Could he escape?

How far would he have to crawl before finding an opening to the outside?

Wait.

At that moment, Jin Ja-gang felt something was wrong and felt the hole with his hand.

The hole was too small. Its diameter was barely about the span of a large adult hand.

Jin Ja-gang tried to force his body into it. But while his head could fit, his shoulders could not.

Jin Ja-gang struggled so much that the skin on his shoulders was scraped and torn, even bleeding.

But he still couldn’t fit through. If he had been one or two years younger, he might have been able to squeeze into such a hole.

But not now.

Jin Ja-gang despaired. He wailed through his damaged throat.

Thunk, thunk.

The asymmetrical noise of a cane with iron railings echoed from the barred window, coming from a distance.

Mang-ryo was returning.