Chapter 157

Jin Ja-gang asked.

“But don’t the orthodox factions greatly dislike the dark path? There would naturally be cases where the three sects join forces.”

“The only case where the three sects, not just them but all Sichuan martial artists, join forces is one situation. When there’s an invasion by external forces. Whether it’s the demonic cult, the dark path, or even…”

Bian Bu shrugged his shoulders.

“The Martial Arts Alliance.”

“Not necessarily… right?”

“Well, that’s right. As with all worldly affairs, nothing can be absolutely guaranteed. Political deals can be made at any time. But even in such cases, rather than directly intervening in Martial Arts Alliance affairs, they would probably just turn a blind eye… That’s what I think. For us, that would be the best outcome.”

Bian Bu turned his head to look at Dan Ryeong-gyeong, who was sitting cross-legged at the back of the palanquin.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong had her eyes closed, but having heard all the conversation between Bian Bu and Jin Ja-gang, she added a comment.

“The doctor says you need to recuperate for more than half a year, so even if it’s frustrating, endure it well during that time.”

“Will you be returning to Shandong, my lord?”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong smiled slightly.

“It would be better for you if I weren’t here, as it would have less negative influence.”

Not long after that, a report came from ahead.

“We’ll soon enter Qingcheng Sect’s territory.”

It was the voice of the bald warrior who was Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s subordinate. Surprisingly, this enormous palanquin carrying three people was being carried and run by two bald warriors, one in front and one behind.

These were the Guangtou Brothers – the older one was Yang Dae and the younger was Yang So. From the outside, it was difficult to distinguish between the older and younger brother.

However, in the martial world, they weren’t called the Guangtou Brothers but rather the Brain-Head Twin Monsters. “Brain-head” was a derogatory term for the head, meaning a bag containing the brain. It was mocking terminology suggesting their heads weren’t used for their proper purpose but only served to contain brains. They were called this because they showed absolute obedience only to Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s orders.

Of course, according to Bian Bu, if you carelessly babbled the term “Brain-Head Twin Monsters” in front of them, your dreams that night would be very disturbing.

In any case, to reach Dayi, they had to pass through the territory of one of the three sects, Qingcheng Sect.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong, who had been keeping her eyes closed, suddenly opened them, and simultaneously the palanquin that the Guangtou Brothers had been carrying while running also stopped.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong waited for a moment, then said.

“Continue on.”

Only then did the Guangtou Brothers begin running again.

Bian Bu was puzzled, wondering what had happened.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong was about to explain the reason when Jin Ja-gang spoke first.

“Someone was watching the palanquin.”

“Huh? Really? I didn’t feel anything.”

Bian Bu scratched his head sheepishly.

“It’s just my feeling. I felt as if someone was peering inside the palanquin.”

Having passed through numerous life-and-death situations, Jin Ja-gang was as sensitive to killing intent as any master.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong looked at Jin Ja-gang with a strange expression before closing her eyes.

“That’s correct. It seems Qingcheng Sect is curious about us. As long as we don’t come forward to provoke them, it should be fine.”

Since Dan Ryeong-gyeong didn’t provide further explanation, Bian Bu also closed his mouth.

* * *

Thanks to the Guangtou Brothers running swiftly with lightness skills while carrying the heavy palanquin, they arrived at Dayi in just a few days.

As if preparations had been made in advance, the palanquin entered a small manor on the outskirts.

“Welcome. Was your journey comfortable?”

An elderly man who appeared older than Bian Bu and a young girl who looked about fifteen or sixteen came out to greet them.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong nodded in greeting.

“It’s been a long time, Elder Yeom. And Soso.”

The girl looked at Bian Bu and smiled brightly, then bowed her head to Dan Ryeong-gyeong.

Elder Yeom had servants guide them inside.

“Please come inside.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong and Bian Bu seemed to have business with Elder Yeom and went to the inner quarters, while only Jin Ja-gang, as a patient, was moved to the guest quarters.

Having spent several days in the cramped palanquin, his whole body ached. In fact, he could barely sit properly.

Jin Ja-gang lay on the bed to rest and tried to sleep.

But just as he was about to fall asleep, the door quietly opened.

Soso entered carrying a basin containing medicinal water and white cotton cloth.

“I can do it myself.”

When Jin Ja-gang woke up and tried to sit up, Soso silently stopped him. Then she began removing the dirty bandages.

Jin Ja-gang’s face flushed with embarrassment. However, he wasn’t in good enough condition to be embarrassed. Blood vessels had burst in various places forming scabs, and due to burns, all his skin had peeled off and become festered with pus forming, making it disgustingly horrible.

The wound on his chest split by sword energy was still gaping open, showing the flesh inside.

Yet even while looking at this terrible sight, Soso’s expression didn’t change at all. She looked like it must hurt a lot, but there was no sense of disgust or reluctance at all.

Her touch was delicate and careful. Jin Ja-gang was embarrassed but had no choice but to entrust his body to the girl’s care.

Soso removed the dirty bandages and ointment, even cutting away matted hair. Then she wiped his body with medicinal water and wrapped him from head to toe with clean cotton cloth.

After caring for Jin Ja-gang for a very long time, Soso put the dirty bandages in the basin and stood up.

“Um…”

When Jin Ja-gang called, Soso, who had been about to leave, turned around.

“Thank you.”

Soso smiled without answering, nodded slightly, and left the room.

Jin Ja-gang felt strange.

* * *

There was almost nothing for Jin Ja-gang to do at this manor.

He ate, slept, and rested. Soso brought him meals every day, changed Jin Ja-gang’s bandages, and cared for him extremely devotedly. Anyone could see it was the utmost sincerity.

Thanks to this, Jin Ja-gang’s condition improved day by day. On good days, he would leave his room and take short walks in the back garden.

But there was one strange thing.

He hadn’t exchanged a single word with Soso.

“She can’t speak.”

“Pardon?”

Bian Bu came out of the room and sat on the stepping stones, stuffing dried tobacco leaves tightly into a long bamboo pipe and lighting it. Thinking about it seemed to make him uncomfortable, so he took a long draw from the pipe, tapped it, and spoke.

“Soso is from Guizhou’s Medicine Sect and has been here for about eight years? She was sold as a servant to a wealthy family, and I found and brought her here.”

“I see.”

“It’s not congenital.”

Bian Bu opened his mouth and pointed inside.

“It was cut. Here.”

Bian Bu sighed and put the pipe back in his mouth.

“They cut her tongue so she couldn’t speak, in exchange for sparing her life. You could say she was fortunate to survive, but what wrong did that young child do? Ugh.”

Come to think of it…

Jin Ja-gang remembered something he had heard before. When that fellow Wang Yisheng from Poison Valley heard that Jin Ja-gang came from the Medicine Sect, he had asked if he came from the Central Plains Medicine Sect.

“What happened to the Medicine Sect in the Central Plains?”

“The Poison Sect and Medicine Sect never got along well from the beginning. I don’t know about Yunnan, but in the martial world there were always big and small fights. Then about ten years ago, there was a very big incident.”

“An incident?”

“The Medicine Sect attacked the Poison Sect.”

“What?”

Jin Ja-gang was greatly shocked. He thought he had misheard.

It was the complete opposite of what had happened in Yunnan?

“They even attempted a preemptive surprise attack, putting the Poison Sect in great difficulty. Of course, when the Poison Sect counterattacked, most of the Medicine Sects that participated in the fighting were annihilated, and the remaining Medicine Sects were either absorbed into the Poison Sect or disbanded.”

Bian Bu tapped his pipe.

“The most widely accepted theory for why the Medicine Sect failed is that they didn’t consider the Sichuan Tang Clan. The Sichuan Tang Clan’s power is tremendous. Even while being attacked, they organized a Poison Sect alliance and systematically struck at the Medicine Sects.”

Jin Ja-gang was bewildered.

Until now, he had thought the Poison Sect was the aggressor and the Medicine Sect was the victim. But the truth was the opposite?

No, perhaps what was important was the reason for fighting. The Poison Sect might have continuously provoked the Medicine Sect.

“What was the reason for fighting?”

“The Medicine Sect used the pretext that the Poison Sect was manufacturing forbidden poisons, while the Poison Sect claimed they were attacked first. But since they had always had routine disputes, I think it was emotional issues that had accumulated and exploded.”

Jin Ja-gang’s heart pounded.

“We also… had no choice…”

These were the words that Iron Mountain Gate’s Gang Gyu had said while dying. When Jin Ja-gang asked why they had tortured and killed innocent people, Gang Gyu had died leaving behind bitter laughter.

“Afterward, the Poison Sect joined the Martial Arts Alliance, and the Medicine Sect perished with nowhere to appeal. No one wanted to side with the Medicine Sect and incur the Martial Arts Alliance’s displeasure.”

The shock of learning that the world he had believed in actually had a different hidden truth.

The impact was by no means trivial for Jin Ja-gang.

“I always thought the Medicine Sect was the victim. That’s why I never hesitated in taking revenge. But…”

His voice trembled at the end.

“You don’t need to feel guilty. If I were in your position, I would have done the same.”

“I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing.”

“Listen here, I told you. The world isn’t simple enough to clearly divide cause and effect, your side and my side. Each Poison Sect is different and each Medicine Sect is different too. And that was something that happened in the Central Plains – the circumstances are different from Yunnan where you were. What’s important is that you establish correct standards for judgment going forward.”

Jin Ja-gang clenched his fist, which still wouldn’t form properly. He felt the peeled skin pulling and tearing, with blood seeping out.

His head was foggy and he still couldn’t think clearly. It felt like his head was full of mist.

Just then, Soso was returning from doing laundry, and Bian Bu waved at her with a smile. Soso bowed her head in greeting and went on. It seemed to be lunchtime, so she was probably going to the kitchen to cook.

“But if you’re really uncomfortable about it, you could temporarily stop your revenge and first find out what really happened. That might be the priority.”

Jin Ja-gang listened to Bian Bu’s words while watching Soso’s retreating figure.

Looking at Soso, who couldn’t speak because her tongue was cut, he couldn’t think that the Medicine Sect had done wrong. Naturally, he thought the Poison Sect must be the evil side.

However, knowing the facts, that might be a result that the Medicine Sect had brought upon itself.

Watching the bright figure of Soso entering the kitchen, Jin Ja-gang remained confused.

* * *

Which side was right and wrong?

Now that he thought even Mang Ryo might be a victim, Jin Ja-gang let out a bitter laugh.

But though he laughed outwardly, his heart was troubled.

If the Medicine Sect had attacked the Poison Sect first, then the Poison Sect’s counterattack was justified. Then was his revenge against that Poison Sect the right thing to do?

If so, then the Poison Sect survivors – like Mang Ryo – seeking revenge against him in return would also be justified.

This was too theoretical a discussion, but for Jin Ja-gang, it was something he absolutely had to think through.

“I probably shouldn’t stay here much longer.”

If it was true that the Medicine Sect had launched a preemptive attack on the Poison Sect, and if people actually recognized the Poison Sect as orthodox, then Jin Ja-gang shouldn’t continue relying on the dark path.

At the very least, his revenge for his mother, grandfather, and the people of Hundred Flower Valley had to be righteous. It absolutely couldn’t appear to others as actions of the dark path. Wasn’t Jin Ja-gang already being perceived as a master of the dark path?

“Let me stop imposing and leave as soon as my body recovers.”

Jin Ja-gang decided to focus on recovering his body as quickly as possible.

Without wasting time, he practiced the Medicine Sect’s self-healing breathing techniques while lying down. He sent internal energy very slowly, weakly, and continuously to give vitality to his wounds, being careful not to accidentally trigger Mad Acupoint Piercing.

Sometimes he failed and Mad Acupoint Piercing would activate on its own, but he didn’t get discouraged and continued attempting the breathing exercises steadily. He didn’t know when he would next have the peace of mind to practice such cultivation.

Bian Bu came to visit occasionally, but when Jin Ja-gang wouldn’t engage with him, he would get bored and leave again.