Chapter 147

Yi Rim’s mind snapped to attention.

‘He’s escaped from the area where the formation’s influence was concentrated. I need to reconstruct the formation!’

Yi Rim frantically waved his flags.

“Everyone, don’t panic and spread out wide!”

There had been a great commotion, but fewer than twenty warriors had died so far. They could still sufficiently confine him within the formation.

However, due to the successive disturbances and the fire spreading much larger because of the explosions, the warriors’ agitation didn’t subside quickly. Though they were trained warriors, the formation’s changes came to a complete halt temporarily.

At that moment, Jin Ja-gang burst out of the flames.

His entire body was charred black, so Yi Rim couldn’t even distinguish whether he was friend or foe for a moment.

Then, seeing the killing intent gleaming in Jin Ja-gang’s eyes, he was startled and shouted.

“Ah!”

Two guard warriors protecting the flag commander blocked Yi Rim’s front.

Jin Ja-gang had already drawn up his internal energy and was rotating it to just before the point of explosion.

Jin Ja-gang extended his right hand. The guard warrior thought there would be something and held his sword forward, swinging it wildly.

The needles painted with ink were hard to see in the flames and black smoke. The guard warrior deflected one, but the other hit his abdomen squarely.

Being hit by a needle in the abdomen didn’t make him collapse immediately. The warrior gritted his teeth and swung his sword down at Jin Ja-gang. Jin Ja-gang rolled on the ground to avoid the sword and tripped the warrior’s legs to knock him down.

The warrior beside him couldn’t rashly swing his sword since his comrade and Jin Ja-gang were entangled. In the meantime, Jin Ja-gang gathered his remaining internal energy and shot Parting Hand Arrow Shot at the warrior beside him.

Thwack!

The warrior beside him was suddenly hit by poison finger in the eye.

“Aaaaah!”

The warrior entangled with Jin Ja-gang struck down wildly with his sword handle. Jin Ja-gang, while being hit, stuck a long needle into the warrior’s neck.

“Kugh!”

Since he had already hit with poison twice, there was no need to fight further. Jin Ja-gang rolled his body away from the warrior. The warrior tried to approach Jin Ja-gang but began foaming at the mouth and trembling.

The warrior hit by poison finger in the eye was also covering his face with his hands and rolling on the ground.

Jin Ja-gang stopped for a moment, gasping for breath – a side effect of using internal energy.

“Huff… huff huff…”

Fortunately, his expression distorted with cold sweat and pain was hidden by the soot.

Jin Ja-gang crouched like a beast and glared at Yi Rim.

Yi Rim was frightened and stepped backward, falling on his bottom. Jin Ja-gang took a long deep breath and approached Yi Rim.

He had drawn a long needle in his hand. Seeing the black needle, Yi Rim froze with fear. He knew he wouldn’t die from being stabbed by the needle but from the poison on it.

Then.

Thwack!

Jin Ja-gang, who had been approaching Yi Rim, was sent flying with a loud noise.

A young man with a sturdy build had appeared without any presence and kicked Jin Ja-gang.

The young man slowly lowered his raised foot, then pulled back his collar with his left hand and drew a line across his left chest with the small silver knife in his right hand.

A wound about a word’s length formed and red blood flowed down.

Jin Ja-gang rolled on the ground several times before getting up.

The young man didn’t rush to attack Jin Ja-gang but just stood still looking at him.

Jin Ja-gang was half-kneeling in a posture as if ready to pounce at any moment, looking at the young man.

The young man spoke.

“Does it hurt?”

A cracked, hoarse voice. A voice so dry it was even scratchy.

Jin Ja-gang didn’t answer. No, he couldn’t answer.

Instinctively, the enormous pressure he felt from the young man was crushing Jin Ja-gang’s lungs.

“E-excuse me?”

Yi Rim, who had been sitting behind the young man, called to him.

The young man turned his head to look down at Yi Rim. The young man’s expression was very indifferent.

However, his eyes were filled with endless anger. Anger on the verge of exploding like lightning would strike if touched.

Yi Rim swallowed dry saliva.

He recognized who the young man was.

When Yi Rim said nothing, the young man slowly turned his head back to look at Jin Ja-gang again.

In that gap, Jin Ja-gang jumped up and leaped over the tea field fence.

He had completely escaped the formation and fled.

But Yi Rim couldn’t say anything, and the young man slowly walked in the direction Jin Ja-gang had fled, as if it didn’t matter where he ran.

It was clear the young man was pursuing Jin Ja-gang.

Yi Rim, who had been dazed for a while, waved his flags to call the warriors together. The tea field was already engulfed in flames anyway, and Jin Ja-gang had fled.

There was no longer any reason for them to remain here.

“Withdraw… to the village entrance.”

Soon the warriors came out of the tea field, shouting loudly.

“Retreat! Retreat!”

* * *

Jiangxi Province, Martial Arts Alliance headquarters.

The inner sanctum surrounded by countless halls.

In a simple room where warm sunlight looked down.

There was an old man wearing a crooked Taoist hat and sitting almost as if dozing, but with his mouth grinning in laughter.

A wrinkled face, white eyebrows growing to cover his eyes and reaching his ears, a round nose like a drunkard’s, and his sitting posture was hunched and diminutive beyond measure.

The old man had a small mortar the size of a clay pot in front of him and was grinding medicinal herbs with a pestle. However, the speed was extremely slow. It seemed like something someone could finish in the time it takes to exhale once if they did it for him, but he leisurely crushed the herbs with the pestle.

Grind, grind grind.

In front of him sat Baek Li-jung, also in a sitting position but with perfect posture and a straight back without a single bit of slovenliness in his clothing or bearing.

Whether frustrated by the old man’s actions or just curious, Baek Li-jung asked.

“What are you doing?”

The old man grinned broadly.

“Mmm. Passing time. What would an old man like me have to do? Just moving my hands around while waiting to die rather than just killing time.”

“What are you making?”

His tone was blunt and not respectful, but his manner of speaking was polite. Considering Baek Li-jung’s usual behavior, this was remarkable.

The old man answered nonchalantly.

“Mm. Purple Heaven Pill.”

Purple Heaven Pill of Wudang Sect, called the world’s supreme elixir second only to Shaolin Temple’s Great Rejuvenation Pill! The old man was casually saying he was making that Purple Heaven Pill!

However, Baek Li-jung didn’t seem very surprised and asked back.

“Is it okay to make Purple Heaven Pill like that where everyone can see?”

“What’s so great about Purple Heaven Pill? Just roughly mixing and making it.”

Of course, Baek Li-jung knew it wasn’t made that roughly. It was because he was the old man, Taoist Hae-wol, that he could say such things.

Taoist Hae-wol of Wudang Sect.

The leader of the Martial Arts Alliance and a master counted as the supreme elder of the martial world.

That Taoist Hae-wol asked.

“I heard you made the Zhuge family kids camp out for a whole month?”

“That’s right.”

“But why didn’t the evil faction kids come to save that youngster called Snake Scorpion?”

“They seem to know it’s a trap.”

“Why did they know it was a trap?”

“Information seems to have leaked.”

Taoist Hae-wol put down the mortar and picked up a stone placed beside it. The stone’s surface had naturally formed a landscape painting pattern due to weathering over many years.

“What is this?”

“Isn’t it a viewing stone? I remember you bragging about receiving a very expensive gift last time.”

Taoist Hae-wol placed the viewing stone in front of Baek Li-jung.

Thud.

At that moment, the stone split into four pieces and fell over.

Crack!

“What is this?”

“It’s just a stone.”

“Yes, it’s a stone. You can be deceived by the outer shell, but the essence is stone.”

Taoist Hae-wol said with a grin.

“You shouldn’t torment the kids by deceiving them that a worthless stone is a viewing stone, whether it’s bait or whatever.”

A faint smile also appeared at the corners of Baek Li-jung’s mouth.

He hadn’t thought Taoist Hae-wol wouldn’t know. His insight had already guessed Baek Li-jung’s scheme to some degree.

“Making a big fuss about some insignificant poison user, calling him an evil faction master or expert and inflating it all up to get people excited… people can’t be used like that. That’s why the evil faction kids didn’t fall for the fishing.”

Baek Li-jung picked up a sharply broken stone. Then he stroked the stone with his palm.

Scrape scrape, scrape scrape.

The stone began to be ground away. Baek Li-jung drew lines on it with his finger.

Scratch, scratch.

When Baek Li-jung put the stone down again, an orchid was blooming on the stone as if it had always been there. It was such an elaborate picture that it was hard to believe it had been made by deliberately carving and chiseling the stone.

“Now it’s a viewing stone again.”

“Oh my. You drew the orchid well, but how is this a viewing stone?”

Baek Li-jung said quietly.

“Is there anyone outside?”

“I’m here.”

“Call anyone.”

A warrior waiting outside brought one of the martial artists residing at the Martial Arts Alliance.

The martial artist didn’t even think of entering the room and bowed his head outside the door.

“Cheongshim Unit member Yu Mun!”

Baek Li-jung handed the stone he had carved an orchid on to the martial artist.

“It’s a viewing stone I ‘made.’ Will you take it?”

The martial artist’s eyes widened.

“It’s an honor! I’ll treasure it as a family heirloom!”

The martial artist received the stone with both hands, bowed several times, and withdrew.

Baek Li-jung said again.

“It’s a viewing stone.”

Taoist Hae-wol looked at Baek Li-jung with a sour expression.

“You said it yourself. The value of existence isn’t something objects inherently possess, but something bestowed by those with power.”

Baek Li-jung took off the jade ring on his hand and showed it.

“What value and meaning could this little thing have? Gold, silver, and treasures are just useless metal before value is assigned to them. So become someone who can create new value, then you can obtain the world. You told me that.”

Taoist Hae-wol chuckled.

“The student has surpassed the teacher. So…? Did you get what you wanted by deceiving them that a stone was a viewing stone?”

“There’s a mudfish under me who’s been casting lines here and there. This time he seems to have built a bridge to the evil faction side, and when I ordered him tracked, his tail seems to have been caught.”

“Cultivate yourself, regulate your family, govern the country, bring peace to the world. A man must finish organizing his household first to do great things. If household fights take too long, it doesn’t look good to others either. I hope the results are good.”

“I plan to clean it up neatly soon.”

“Good, good. And… this is from an old man’s excessive concern.”

“I’m listening.”

“Leave room for compassion. If you push too hard, a person loses virtue.”

“I don’t know which side you’re referring to.”

“The Zhuge family, not your wife.”

A very brief chill flashed through Baek Li-jung’s eyes.

“How could I let the likes of the Zhuge family gain merit?”

“Well, you’ll handle it well yourself. Ah, but…”

Taoist Hae-wol, who had been absent-minded for a moment, said.

“You should probably go now.”

As soon as those words ended, someone outside called for Baek Li-jung.

“I’m sorry. There’s urgent news for the Pavilion Master.”

Baek Li-jung slightly nodded to Taoist Hae-wol to ask for understanding and received the urgent letter to read.

Baek Li-jung’s face became frighteningly distorted after reading the letter. Considering his personality of not usually showing much emotion, he was extremely angry.

Baek Li-jung made a stern face and bowed to Taoist Hae-wol.

“I think I need to go.”

“Go quickly.”

Baek Li-jung strode out of the room.

Taoist Hae-wol had someone clean the room, then came out to the wooden porch and looked outside.

Though he couldn’t know the contents of the letter at all, Taoist Hae-wol looked like he knew why Baek Li-jung had left so urgently.

“When catching a tail, you should also check the head. Since mudfish bury their heads in muddy water, if you don’t look properly, you get confused about whether it’s biting you or someone else. Tsk.”