Chapter 182: The Age of Dragons and Tigers (1)

"How are you feeling?"

"I feel wonderful."

To Geom-yul-cheon's question, Myeong-cheon answered thus.

Myeong-cheon wore a bright smile. At the sight of it, Geom-yul-cheon also broke into a wide grin.

Geom-yul-cheon reached out and vigorously ruffled Myeong-cheon's hair. His hair became disheveled, but Myeong-cheon did not let the smile leave his face.

Looking at this enormous man before him brought a peace to his heart that nothing else could. More than a decade ago, even in that hellish place, he had followed only this man before him. And it was thanks to that that he had escaped that hell.

"Thank you, Elder Brother."

"What is there to thank? A elder brother looks after his younger brother—that is all there is to it."

"But if it were not for you, Elder Brother, I would not have lived until now."

"Tch! Nonsense. Put such thoughts out of your mind and devote yourself fully to recovering. We were fortunate that fate smiled upon us and you were freed from the illness, but you are not yet fully healed."

"Yes!"

Myeong-cheon answered with vigor.

At that moment, the old man who had been tending to Myeong-cheon opened the door and entered. His eyes were red-rimmed as he gazed at Myeong-cheon.

"Young Master, you have truly recovered?"

"I have! I am fully recovered now. So do not worry, Ya-no."

"That is truly a relief. Truly…"

The old man called Ya-no could hold back no longer and tears fell from his eyes. At the sight, Geom-yul-cheon clicked his tongue.

"Tch!"

"My apologies, Young Master."

"It is fine! I have always known that Ya-no is a man of deep feeling."

"You have worked exceedingly hard."

"Worked hard? It was simply what needed to be done."

Geom-yul-cheon scratched his head with an awkward expression. Ya-no watched him with eyes full of respect.

He had first met Geom-yul-cheon some twenty years ago. At the time, Geom-yul-cheon was merely a boy of twelve or so.

At an age when ordinary children could barely distinguish right from wrong, he had been thrown into a hellish place. In that hell where even his own survival was not guaranteed, Geom-yul-cheon had protected those weaker than himself.

Myeong-cheon had been one of those children. He had been especially frail, the child most likely to perish.

Though burdened enough simply caring for himself, Geom-yul-cheon had shielded Myeong-cheon to the very end and escaped that hell. And today, he had finally cured Myeong-cheon completely.

Even his connection with the previous Divine Physician had ultimately been for the sake of healing Myeong-cheon. When the previous Divine Physician died, Geom-yul-cheon had extended the connection to his disciple, finally freeing Myeong-cheon from the grip of illness.

Throughout that process, the tenacity and far-sighted grand strategy that Geom-yul-cheon had displayed were enough to make even Ya-no, who had watched him for so long, shudder with awe.

'What on earth are his limits…'

Ya-no felt goosebumps rising across his entire body and shuddered.

He had watched Geom-yul-cheon for twenty years, yet he could not begin to fathom where his limits lay.

At that moment, Myeong-cheon spoke.

"From now on, I will share some of the burden that you carry, Elder Brother."

"There is much you must do henceforth."

"I know."

"You rascal!"

Geom-yul-cheon struck Myeong-cheon's shoulder a couple of times.

Myeong-cheon was what people commonly called a genius. He possessed a remarkably sharp mind and never forgot anything he had seen once.

Above all, his judgment of situations was swift, and his ability to predict the future was extraordinary. Thanks to this, it was impossible to count how many times he had averted crisis.

Myeong-cheon's greatest weakness had always been his frail body, ravaged by illness. Because of it, he had been unable to engage in proper activity. But now that he had shed that illness, he could finally begin his work in earnest.

It was then.

"Haha! I hear our youngest has recovered?"

A man threw open the door and strode in.

Strapped to his back was a black armor that gleamed like the tail feathers of a peacock—it was none other than Shin Mu-wol. At his appearance, Myeong-cheon's face brightened.

"Second Brother!"

"Oh? Look at that color in your face. You have truly recovered."

Shin Mu-wol pulled Myeong-cheon into a fierce embrace.

Myeong-cheon did not resist but simply closed his eyes as he rested in Shin Mu-wol's arms. Shin Mu-wol patted his back for a long while.

"You rascal, you need to put on some weight. Look at you—nothing but bones."

"I will eat more from now on and put on some flesh."

"Yes! That is what you should do."

Shin Mu-wol's eyes reddened slightly.

He held back his tears and looked at Geom-yul-cheon. Geom-yul-cheon gazed at him in silence. Shin Mu-wol bowed his head deeply.

"Elder Brother."

"Yes?"

"You have worked exceedingly hard."

"You have worked hard as well."

"At last, all of us are finally gathered. It has taken fifteen long years…"

"Yes! It has been a long time."

"It is a pity that Martial Sister is not here. If she were, we could have held a proper celebration."

Shin Mu-wol wore a regretful expression.

"She has gone to Shouzhou. And I too shall go to Shouzhou."

"Why Shouzhou?"

"Deng Cheon-so has gone there."

"Deng Cheon-so? You do not mean the Blood Sea Judge?"

"That is correct."

"Mad!"

A curse flew from Shin Mu-wol's lips. And Geom-yul-cheon understood his feelings.

"It is also possible that, depending on the situation, So Cheon-sang may head there as well."

"The Ten-Li Reaper? That murderous madman as well? Damn it! The Cult Leader has truly lost his mind."

Both Deng Cheon-so and So Cheon-sang were rumored to be the most ruthless killers within the Demonic Cult. Not a single person who had fallen into their hands had met a decent end.

More critically, both Deng Cheon-so and So Cheon-sang possessed martial arts that enabled mass slaughter. If they moved, it meant that a terrible massacre was about to unfold.

"The Cult Leader has made his decision. If things go awry, an irreversible catastrophe will occur."

"Damn it!"

"Mu-wol, your mission is the most important."

"I understand. But their trail is maddeningly elusive. They slip away like eels just when you think you have them."

"Hmm!"

"I cannot manage it alone."

"Myeong-cheon!"

At Shin Mu-wol's response, Geom-yul-cheon called Myeong-cheon.

"Yes! Elder Brother."

"The moment you have fully recovered, move together with Mu-wol. Find a way to ensnare them."

"As it happens, I already have a method in mind."

"Truly?"

Shin Mu-wol's face lit up.

Could this be what rain felt like after a long drought? Because he knew Myeong-cheon's abilities better than anyone, his delight was all the greater.

"I have been unable to earn my keep, so I must at least do this much."

"My, what a fine fellow you are!"

Shin Mu-wol embraced Myeong-cheon fiercely once more. Myeong-cheon's face flushed crimson.

"Ugh! Brother, I cannot breathe."

"Right! One must not stop breathing. In any case, thank you."

Ya-no watched the scene with a smile.

These people, firmly united around Geom-yul-cheon.

Twenty years ago, such a sight would have been utterly inconceivable. If someone had told him back then that they would one day be so tightly bound together, he would have been called a madman.

At that moment, Shin Mu-wol spoke.

"Oh, I heard you clashed with the Fist Demon."

"That is correct."

"How was he?"

Shin Mu-wol's eyes were filled with curiosity.

"Powerful."

"How powerful?"

"An opponent who demands everything one has."

"Is he that strong?"

A look of shock spread across Shin Mu-wol's face.

Geom-yul-cheon was the strongest person he knew. Not only in martial arts, but in temperament, in spirit, and as a man himself.

That was why Shin Mu-wol had acknowledged him and served him as Elder Brother. He could not accept anyone above Geom-yul-cheon.

He had known that Dam Ho was strong. He had surmised as much since the time his Martial Sister, Eum Yu-gyeong, had been inconvenienced. But that his Elder Brother, Geom-yul-cheon, would acknowledge him as an equal—that he truly had not expected.

"I do not know how he attained such strength within the Heaven Vault Jade, but he is powerful. Excluding the Four Messengers, the Cult Leader, and the Four Great Generals, there are not many who could face him head-on and emerge victorious."

"Mad!"

"Yes! A level of power that is truly mad."

Geom-yul-cheon suddenly glanced down at his hand.

The saber that had clashed with Dam Ho was shattered, and his gauntlet was torn nearly in half. It had been quite some time since he had sustained such wounds.

"Then what of the saber?"

"It is broken."

"Tch! That famous blade…"

"It was merely an object from beyond the heavens. There is no reason to be attached to it. I have no particular need for a saber."

"But…"

"He is a man worth that much."

At Geom-yul-cheon's reply, Shin Mu-wol let out a low murmur. In all his twenty-odd years of knowing Geom-yul-cheon, he had never once heard him praise anyone so highly.

'Had I known, I should have settled it then.'

A pang of regret suddenly washed over him.

Geom-yul-cheon, sensing Shin Mu-wol's thoughts, spoke.

"Stop worrying about Dam Ho. Focus your efforts on finding them."

"I understand."

"And Ya-no."

"At your service."

"Please assist Yu-gyeong."

"You mean for me to go to Shouzhou?"

"Yes. Once I have finished my affairs here, I too shall go to Shouzhou."

"I understand. Then I shall depart immediately."

"Hmm!"

Geom-yul-cheon nodded and gazed out the window.

Rumble!

A thunderstorm had erupted without warning. Lightning struck, and the windows rattled violently in the fierce wind.

'Dam Ho.'

Watching the storm, that man came suddenly to mind.

Dam Ho resembled a thunderstorm.

He crashed forward without restraint, never once retreating.

'If it is him…'

Fifteen hundred li from Dayi.

The carriage ran without rest through winding mountain paths and high plateau regions.

As they climbed to higher ground, the slope became gentler and roads close to flat terrain began to continue.

The carriage kept moving forward along the Min River flowing between not-so-deep valleys, with the Min Mountain range alongside.

Occasionally, merchants passing through for trade with Tibet brushed past them. They could also see Tibetan people living in villages scattered here and there.

Due to several days of forced marching, both the carriage and people were all exhausted.

Particularly, Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s condition, who had not received proper treatment, was serious. Because of the poison, she couldn’t properly deploy her internal energy, so her severed shoulder had festered and pus was flowing down.

“We should rest.”

Bian Bu suggested. He thought that by now they had bought enough time to temporarily shake off their pursuers. No, even if they hadn’t shaken them off, they really needed to rest.

The evil faction member driving the carriage said.

“There’s a Tea Horse Ancient Road here with a large village where merchants gather.”

“Go that way.”

Jin Ja-gang briefly lifted the carriage curtain. Though it wasn’t time to turn his attention to scenery, the surrounding landscape was beautiful like a painting. Particularly, the color of the water was a unique blue reminiscent of jade.

“This place is called Mirror Sea.”

The lake was truly like a mirror. The appearance of the mountains surrounding the lake was reflected in the lake as well, making it seem as if there were mountains below the water surface too.

“There are nine large Tibetan villages nearby. Since this is Tibetan territory, it’s not bad for avoiding the eyes of Sichuan martial artists. It would be good to rest here briefly.”

Not long after passing Mirror Sea, a bustling village where Tibetans, Tibetan people, and Central Plains people had gathered together appeared. It had a prosperity that was hard to see in a village situated in the leisurely plateau region.

Because there were so many people traveling the long and treacherous trade routes all the way to Tibet, the group’s shabby or dirty appearance didn’t particularly stand out.

They secured lodging at an inn and immediately began to rest. Dan Ryeong-gyeong continued breathing exercises alone in the adjacent room, suppressing the worsening of her wounds.

The evil faction member went out saying he would dispose of the carriage they had ridden and obtain a new one. Meanwhile, Soso gestured to Jin Ja-gang with hand and foot signals that medicine was needed.

Currently, among the group, only the evil faction member and Jin Ja-gang could move properly.

It wasn’t that Jin Ja-gang hadn’t been injured during the fighting, but he was the most intact. More precisely, it would be correct to say he had recovered at a surprising speed.

Soso wrote down the medicines and medicinal materials needed. Soso’s understanding of medicinal materials was much higher than Jin Ja-gang’s. It was embarrassing for Jin Ja-gang, who was supposedly from the Medicine Sect.

Moreover, she didn’t forget the meticulousness of bringing money when leaving the manor.

“She’ll manage the household well when she gets married later.”

At Bian Bu’s idle joke, Soso blushed.

Jin Ja-gang received the money pouch from Soso and tucked it at his waist.

“I’ll be back.”

When Jin Ja-gang left the inn, Bian Bu sighed enviously.

“That fellow is always lively. No, he fought like that and became bloody, but after it passes, only that fellow is always fine. Even his eyeballs were red until the day before yesterday, but look how fine they are now.”

Bian Bu was suffering because his foot injured at Lan Family Village still hadn’t healed due to his age.

Woon-jeong also scratched his head. Jin Ja-gang’s amazing recovery ability was something even he couldn’t match.

Soso came and cared for Woon-jeong’s wounds. She wiped his wounds with clean cloth. Soso’s expression wasn’t good. Woon-jeong’s pierced abdomen wasn’t healing easily and the wound kept festering, perhaps due to the bad energy contained in the Non-Killing Sword.

“Ah-eo-eo.”

Soso gestured for him not to overdo it and to rest. Woon-jeong nodded embarrassedly.

* * *

Jin Ja-gang left the inn and walked through the bustling streets.

All kinds of people with slightly different appearances and different clothing filled the streets and bustled about. Donkeys and horses loaded with cargo passed through the streets without rest.

Voices of bargaining could be heard from various places, and rough curses or fighting words could also be heard.

It was full of vitality that Jin Ja-gang had never experienced before.

Even in alleys that looked like red-light districts, women of various ethnicities in unique clothing could be seen. The women were smiling at passing merchants and competitively grabbing and pulling their arms.

Jin Ja-gang became a little dizzy.

This was Jin Ja-gang who recognized all surrounding environments in advance to prepare for any situation. However, now there were too many new things that Jin Ja-gang had to accept.

Several women also approached Jin Ja-gang. They grabbed and pulled Jin Ja-gang’s arms. Some looked much older than Jin Ja-gang, but some appeared to be similar age or younger than Jin Ja-gang.

This was Jin Ja-gang’s first time in such a situation, but he didn’t panic and pulled his body away. He couldn’t be pleased with unknown people carelessly touching his body.

In the world Jin Ja-gang had lived in until now, it was hard to imagine strangers touching one’s body. However, the people passing through this place were somehow different.

‘Is this what’s normal?’

Only then did Jin Ja-gang realize that the martial world and ordinary people’s lives were more distant than he thought.

Jin Ja-gang passed the red-light district alleys and merchants bargaining in various places to find a pharmacy. Inside the pharmacy, many unique materials that were hard to see in the Central Plains were also visible. There were things that even Jin Ja-gang, who had grown up in Yunnan, was seeing for the first time.

The elderly pharmacy owner looked at the names of medicines and medicinal materials that Jin Ja-gang presented and shook his head.

“Several are medicinal materials that don’t grow here, so they’re not available here… You’d probably have trouble finding them even if you went around this entire neighborhood.”

The pharmacy owner casually asked.

“Are you a martial artist?”

Jin Ja-gang didn’t know what to answer, but soon realized there was no need to tell the truth.

“No. I’m running an errand.”

“That’s right, you’re too handsome to be a martial artist. Your skin is clean too. As you can see, the people here are all dark or reddish from being tanned.”

The pharmacy owner laughed heartily. Jin Ja-gang bought only the materials available at the pharmacy and left. He went around several pharmacies and obtained medicines even by paying extra, but several medicinal materials still couldn’t be obtained.

“I’ll have to go back first and deliver the urgent medicines, then find substitutes for the remaining medicinal materials.”

While going around looking for pharmacies, he had come quite far.

As Jin Ja-gang was about to turn the corner ahead and return to the inn, suddenly a boy about Jin Ja-gang’s age who had popped out bumped into Jin Ja-gang.

“Oops!”

The boy wearing a uniquely colored headband cried out as if flustered. Jin Ja-gang reflexively twisted his body to avoid.

Thanks to Jin Ja-gang avoiding, the boy was caught trying to steal the money pouch from Jin Ja-gang’s waist. However, the money pouch was already in the boy’s hand.

He had avoided the collision but in the meantime had cut the string tying the money pouch.

When the boy was caught with the money pouch in his hand, he smiled awkwardly and immediately began to run away. When Jin Ja-gang tried to follow, suddenly Tibetan men blocked Jin Ja-gang’s path.

As many as five Tibetan men threatened Jin Ja-gang by cracking their knuckles and taking off their upper garments.

“If possible, just quietly go on your way.”

“Why did you come all the way here showing off your money?”

“Looking at you, you seem like a wealthy family’s son with your neat appearance, so think of it as charity and go.”

When Jin Ja-gang looked at them with calm eyes without answering, the men’s expressions changed slightly.

“What. Are you saying you want to try?”

“A cripple dares to want to die?”

“If you die here, you could become cow feed without anyone knowing.”

Cow refers to large cattle with horns and long black hair commonly seen in this area. Whether cows eat people was unknown, but it was certainly a threatening statement.

Jin Ja-gang surveyed his surroundings.

Even though people were passing by, they weren’t paying much attention to Jin Ja-gang’s situation. This wasn’t where merchants were, but a neighborhood where local natives lived. Seeing that there were even onlookers, it seemed to be something that happened quite often.

In this place, Tibetan influence was greater than that of the Central Plains.

Jin Ja-gang stared at the men and asked.

“Are you in cahoots with that pickpocket from earlier?”

A thin-built man with a scar on his face approached threateningly.

“Hey, calling him a pickpocket even after we told you. Huh? He’s a kid who lives next door to us. Why are you making an innocent kid into a pickpocket? Did you see him steal money?”

“I saw it.”

The thin-built man was flustered.

“You saw it?”

The men murmured among themselves.

“What, is he a martial artist?”

“He said no earlier, didn’t he?”

“What can one guy do alone? Just bury him!”

The men surrounded Jin Ja-gang.

One of the men, who seemed to have learned some martial arts somewhere, attacked Jin Ja-gang with a technique. He swayed his body left and right, then struck Jin Ja-gang’s stomach with his fist.

Thud!

When Jin Ja-gang was hit in the stomach and crouched, he grabbed his head and struck with his knee.

Jin Ja-gang staggered backward as if bouncing and stumbled. He blinked after being hit above the eye. Soon a bruise formed blue above his eye. However, he didn’t fall.

“This b*st*rd has some endurance?”

The man aimed for Jin Ja-gang’s temple and threw a punch. As Jin Ja-gang dodged, the man’s fist mistakenly hit the upper part of Jin Ja-gang’s forehead.

Crack.

With the sound, the man screamed. His knuckle bone seemed to have fractured.

“Ow!”

When the man screamed while holding his fist, the other men rushed in. One kicked Jin Ja-gang’s thigh. When Jin Ja-gang lifted his leg, the man’s shin hit Jin Ja-gang’s knee.

A dull sound occurred and the man made a pained expression. Though it didn’t break, he limped as if his shinbone had at least cracked.

The other men began hitting Jin Ja-gang. Jin Ja-gang was helplessly beaten. When Jin Ja-gang stepped backward, the man standing behind pushed Jin Ja-gang’s back hard.

Jin Ja-gang was pushed forward and headbutted the man in front’s nose.

Crack!

With the sound of the nose collapsing, blood burst from the man’s nose.

“Aaaaah!”

The man fell backward holding his nose.

“This b*st*rd!”

Someone punched Jin Ja-gang’s face from the side. The punch missed and the knuckle bone rather than the finger joints hit Jin Ja-gang’s head. The one who screamed was the man who had hit. His fingers were pressed inward and he couldn’t open his fist.

“Uuugh!”

Still, perhaps because there were many of them, Jin Ja-gang continued to be beaten. When Jin Ja-gang fell, the men kicked and trampled him. Jin Ja-gang’s face quickly swelled and blood came from his lips.

Thud thud! Thud!

But in the midst of this, the foot of the man who had kicked Jin Ja-gang’s face with his bare foot was pierced by Jin Ja-gang’s front teeth. The top of the foot is where pain is concentrated and where the muscles that move the toes pass through.

Blood spurted from the man’s foot.

“Ow!”

The man couldn’t step properly and limped. The remaining man continued kicking Jin Ja-gang, who was fallen and crouched, as if venting anger.

“This b*st*rd! This b*st*rd!”

The man who had kicked Jin Ja-gang until exhausted drew a knife.

“I’ll cut his throat and…”

At that moment, the man saw the eyes of Jin Ja-gang who was crouched. Eyes that were looking at the man clearly despite being beaten like that.

The man swallowed dry saliva and stepped back.

“I was going to cut your throat and throw you as cow feed, but I stopped. You should know you’re lucky today. If you show your face here again, you’ll die.”

But none of them were unharmed. The men had done the hitting, but they were all injured or bleeding somewhere. Limping and groaning, the men returned to the village.

Jin Ja-gang dusted himself off and stood up.

One of the passing people brought well water for him. Jin Ja-gang nodded his bruised and swollen face to express gratitude.

* * *

“What’s this?”

Bian Bu, Soso, and Woon-jeong were dumbfounded seeing Jin Ja-gang enter the room.

Jin Ja-gang had appeared severely beaten up.

Looking at his condition, it didn’t seem like he had met pursuers, but rather like he had been beaten up in a street fight somewhere.

Bian Bu asked with a bewildered face.

“Did you meet some master somewhere? Why did a kid who went out fine come back beaten up?”