Chapter 225: Leaving No Lingering Attachments (4)

"Huh!"

Cho Yeon-woon exhaled a rough breath.

His face, drenched in sweat, showed clear signs of fatigue. But he had no time to rest and needed to take care of those around him.

"Is everyone alright?"

"Man-cheong and Jo-wol suffered quite serious injuries, and there are five others with minor wounds. The rest are fine."

"Send the two to the rear, and make sure the minor injuries are properly treated."

"Understood."

Hearing his fellow disciple's reply, Cho Yeon-woon sighed.

"Hah! If only Miss Jong Ri were here at a time like this, I'd feel more at ease."

Though he knew it couldn't be helped, he couldn't help feeling regretful. But Jong Ri-yeon had long since left with Dam Ho.

Cho Yeon-woon looked around with bloodshot eyes. Numerous corpses were strewn across the ground. They were the elite forces of the Demon Cult who had just been engaged in fierce battle.

These were a kind of reconnaissance team sent to monitor the movements of the Shouzhou branch. The Demon Cult operated dozens of such organizations.

As the damage from these groups increased, the Shouzhou branch hurriedly formed an organization to hunt them down. Cho Yeon-woon and the disciples of Hundred Battles Sect were part of this effort.

Over the past month, Cho Yeon-woon and the Hundred Battles Sect disciples had ambushed and annihilated the Demon Cult's reconnaissance teams three times already. While they had achieved great military success, Hundred Battles Sect had also suffered significant losses.

The Hundred Battles Sect disciples were exhausted to the extreme, and Cho Yeon-woon was also quite fatigued.

Cho Yeon-woon made a decision.

"Everyone return to base."

"Yes!"

The Hundred Battles Sect disciples brightened at this.

Cho Yeon-woon led the Hundred Battles Sect disciples back to the Shouzhou branch.

"You've returned safely."

"Welcome back."

The first to greet them were Song Gyeong and Wu Yangchun of the Demon Extermination Squad.

Their eyes were filled with admiration as they looked at Cho Yeon-woon.

When Jang Il-wan was critically wounded by Nam Hak, he alone had taken their side. He fought against Nam Hak and advocated for the position of the wandering warriors.

After this became known, the wandering warriors showed fervent support for Cho Yeon-woon. Song Gyeong and Wu Yangchun were prime examples of this.

Cho Yeon-woon made a fist-and-palm salute to them.

"Thanks to you, we were able to return safely. How is Senior Jang doing?"

"He's much better. He should be able to move around soon."

"That's a relief."

"It's all thanks to you, Junior Cho. The supplies for Demon Extermination Squad have improved, and we're able to have quality meals. If it weren't for you, we'd still be eating unidentifiable porridge. Thank you."

"Ah! We're all fellow martial artists, aren't we? There's nothing to thank me for."

Cho Yeon-woon waved his hands with an embarrassed expression and left. His face was actually flushed red.

Song Gyeong didn't speak any more words of gratitude out loud. He kept them in his heart.

'I will surely repay this kindness someday, Junior Cho.'

Song Gyeong gazed at Cho Yeon-woon's retreating figure.

Cho Yeon-woon hurried back to his quarters. But even after returning, he couldn't rest comfortably.

"Yeon-woon."

Someone suddenly came looking for him.

Cho Yeon-woon frowned as he recognized the face.

"Mu-yeong."

The man who had suddenly appeared was Jin Mu-yeong of the Peerless Sword.

Jin Mu-yeong had been living in seclusion after being utterly defeated by Dam Ho. For the past month, he had not left his quarters. After being defeated by Dam Ho, he had no face to see people, and above all, he was ashamed of the public gaze.

Jin Mu-yeong had been on a winning streak befitting his title of Peerless Sword. This had made him unconsciously arrogant, looking down on people of the world.

His self-esteem and arrogance were shattered along with his defeat by Dam Ho. For the past month, Jin Mu-yeong had locked himself in his quarters, reflecting on himself.

Jin Mu-yeong looked noticeably haggard. His eyes, once sparkling with confidence, had deepened.

Even without checking, one could sense that many changes had occurred.

"What brings you here, Mu-yeong?"

"I've come to… apologize to you."

"Apologize?"

"I'm sorry."

Unbelievable words flowed from Jin Mu-yeong's mouth.

For a moment, Cho Yeon-woon doubted his ears. The Jin Mu-yeong he knew had such strong pride that he would never apologize to others.

"At first, anger rose up. I wanted to get revenge on Fist Demon somehow. But then suddenly I had this thought. Was I really right? Then and now, I still dislike Fist Demon. But if I wanted to drive him out, I should have done it with fair skill. I shouldn't have incited people like that."

"Mu-yeong."

"Forgive my pettiness."

Jin Mu-yeong bowed deeply to Cho Yeon-woon. Cho Yeon-woon was rather flustered by this gesture.

The fact that he acknowledged his mistake and apologized showed that Jin Mu-yeong's capacity was not small at all. Perhaps an ordinary person would have thought of revenge out of shame, but would never have apologized like this.

Cho Yeon-woon shook his head.

"No! You don't need to apologize to me. If you're going to apologize, it should be to him."

"Where… is he? I haven't heard any news. It doesn't seem like he went to Mount Hua either."

"I don't know that either."

"Is that so?"

"But we'll meet him again before long. He'll come back out into the world."

"Will he come out again? He must have been very disappointed with me and the world."

Jin Mu-yeong's voice was very cautious.

"You don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"Even if he tries to distance himself from the world, the world won't let him go. Just wait and see."

"Alright! When I meet him again someday, I'll apologize. And I'll challenge him again. Next time, I won't lose so miserably."

Cho Yeon-woon looked at Jin Mu-yeong with fresh eyes at these words.

When faced with setbacks, some people just give up, while others grit their teeth and charge again. It seemed Jin Mu-yeong belonged to the latter group.

Cho Yeon-woon patted Jin Mu-yeong's shoulder.

"You'll surely be able to do it."

"Thank you!"

"But first we have to deal with the Demon Cult."

"That's right. The Demon Cult, then Fist Demon."

Jin Mu-yeong nodded.

'Someday I will surely surpass Fist Demon. With the martial arts of Wudang.'

***

An endless sea of clouds stretched out beneath Dam Ho's feet.

The sea of clouds viewed from the peak of Mount Huang was truly spectacular. The sun rising over the sea of clouds and the cool breeze refreshing one's sweat combined to evoke the image of a celestial realm.

Dam Ho stood motionless like a part of Mount Huang itself, taking in all the scenery.

The flowing clouds, the blowing wind, the moving sun – all these sights stirred a strange emotion in Dam Ho's heart.

At that moment, someone's voice echoed across the Mount Huang peak.

"A majestic view, as grand as Mount Hua."

Dam Ho awoke from his reverie and looked in the direction of the voice. Sage Hyeon-so was climbing up, breathing heavily.

"Master."

"Whew! Now I feel like my chest is opening up a bit."

Sage Hyeon-so wiped the sweat from his brow and came to stand beside Dam Ho.

"You shouldn't overexert yourself yet."

"It's alright. If you keep lying down because you're sick, you'll only get sicker. Moving around little by little like this helps the body heal faster."

"…"

"If it gets too hard, I'll say so. Don't worry."

Sage Hyeon-so smiled faintly and looked out at the scenery Dam Ho had been gazing at.

The majestic view of Mount Huang filled his retinas.

Though it belonged to the Five Great Mountains of China like Mount Hua, Mount Huang's scenery was different. But the Taoist energy permeating it was similar.

As high as it was lofty, as vast as it was profound.

Sage Hyeon-so felt something move in his chest. That tiny thing sprouted a bud in Sage Hyeon-so's heart.

He muttered without realizing it.

"It's good."

"It's good."

"Yes! It really is good."

A mystical light gleamed in Sage Hyeon-so's eyes. They were hazy, like the eyes of a child in a dream.

Dam Ho closed his mouth at this gaze, so different from before.

Whether aware of this or not, Sage Hyeon-so continued speaking.

"I've been dreaming for the past month."

"…"

"In my dreams, I was a nameless porter, a woodcutter. I was also an ant, a dog, a bird flying in the sky. Perhaps the life I wanted was realized through dreams. Anyway, while you were suffering so much, I was comfortably dreaming."

"…"

"Just before waking from the dream, I even met the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord. It was so vivid that only after waking did I realize it was a dream."

Sage Hyeon-so's murmuring continued, and Dam Ho listened silently.

"I was scolded a lot by the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord. He scolded me so fiercely that even though it was a dream, I was terribly frightened."

Sage Hyeon-so closed his eyes.

"Why did he scold me so? What did this powerless old man do so wrong?"

"…"

"Perhaps it was because of indifference to the world. A Taoist not fulfilling a Taoist's duty. A Taoist not being Taoist-like. Looking back, I wasn't a true Taoist. I was just an unsightly old man worrying about his disciple."

"Master."

"Now that I've met you, this master will return to the proper attitude of a Taoist. I shouldn't be scolded by the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord after death. Amitabha!"

Whoosh!

Suddenly, the wind blew, gently caressing Sage Hyeon-so's entire body. Watching Sage Hyeon-so's hair flutter in the wind, Dam Ho held his breath.

He sensed signs of some change in Sage Hyeon-so. Though he couldn't tell what it was, he could feel an inexplicable mystical energy emanating from Sage Hyeon-so.

"A warrior should be warrior-like, a Taoist should be Taoist-like, and a person should be person-like. That is the way of heaven, one of the supreme principles of the world. I will now walk the path of a person, the path of a Taoist."

At that moment, Dam Ho saw a streak of light emanating from Sage Hyeon-so's body. The soft yet warm light spread gently like sunlight.

'Taoist energy?'

It was clearly Taoist energy. An energy that only those who have attained enlightenment can possess. Sage Hyeon-so had unknowingly stepped into the realm of enlightenment.

As he gained enlightenment, an energy imbued with Taoist qi moved within Sage Hyeon-so's body.

It was similar to the energy Dam Ho knew.

'Heavenly Heart Determination?'

The forgotten inner technique of ancient Mount Hua.

Though its understanding had been passed down to Dam Ho, Sage Hyeon-so also knew this inner technique.

Dam Ho had desperately tried to master the Heavenly Heart Determination, but Sage Hyeon-so had completely forgotten about it. However, its verses were deeply engraved in the depths of his heart.

The Taoist energy moved the Heavenly Heart Determination, and the Heavenly Heart Determination absorbed the profound energy permeating Mount Huang.

Swoosh!

Like the tide coming in, the energy of Mount Huang was absorbed into Sage Hyeon-so's body.

Sage Hyeon-so was experiencing a great karmic opportunity as a Taoist.

His Jungcheon Simgyeol was different from the one Dam Ho had learned. While Dam Ho's Jungcheon Simgyeol was destructive, Sage Hyeon-so's was filled with profound energy.

The energy absorbed by the Heavenly Heart Determination swirled through Sage Hyeon-so's body and then disappeared as if it had never been there.

Even after all the changes had ended, Sage Hyeon-so remained motionless like a stone statue.

It was only after a long while that he opened his eyes.

His eyes, looking at the world, were exceptionally clear and pure.

Sage Hyeon-so smiled.

"My body feels light."

"Master."

"I feel very refreshed."

Sage Hyeon-so stretched. He exuded a purity like that of an innocent child.

Even without Dam Ho telling him, Sage Hyeon-so sensed the changes that had occurred within his body.

He felt infinitely light and refreshed. As if an opaque veil covering his eyes had been removed, everything in the world appeared clearly.

The abundant vitality reflected in the blades of grass, the dense Taoist energy emanating from the leaves – he could almost grasp them with his hands.

Suddenly, he recalled words he had spoken to Dam Ho long ago.

"All I need is one firm resolve, then heaven will open the way for me."

He hadn't realized it then. That those words, spoken out of habit, would become the starting point for becoming an Taoist of Accumulated Virtue.

Heaven was opening the way for him.

Tang Ha-ran was impressed by Jin Ja-gang.

Compared to Jin Ja-gang, she was truly a novice. The lowest of the low.

Tang Ha-ran realized her limitations and felt bitter, but at the same time, she also felt good.

Since she had known her own inadequacies from the beginning, she had wanted someone who could fill those gaps.

Jin Ja-gang was exactly that person.

“But if we light a campfire, won’t it be visible from too far away? Is that okay?”

“Since the campfire being visible means we’re there, it would make them feel at ease.”

“What do you mean by deceiving at the crucial moment?”

“When we really want to escape. I’m thinking of leaving the fire lit and running away. When they’re off guard.”

By lighting a fire every night, the watchers would see the firelight and feel reassured that Jin Ja-gang and Tang Ha-ran were there. Since they wouldn’t need to dangerously approach, there was a high possibility they would monitor from farther away than usual.

That would give Jin Ja-gang and Tang Ha-ran that much more breathing room.

“But since they know we’re going to Qingcheng Mountain anyway, the watchers probably won’t be too impatient. What I wanted was just to create more distance so my actions wouldn’t be interfered with.”

Tang Ha-ran spoke with a slightly awkward expression.

“For that, you’d need to create much more distance than now…”

Jin Ja-gang asked back, wondering what she meant.

“Pardon?”

“I think…”

Tang Ha-ran brought her face close to Jin Ja-gang’s and said seriously.

“Now is exactly that crucial moment.”

“Now?”

“Yes.”

Tang Ha-ran nodded.

Jin Ja-gang looked at Tang Ha-ran quietly, then nodded.

“I understand.”

They put enough firewood to keep the campfire from going out, and gathered branches and dirt to make a thick shape that looked like people were there.

“Let’s go.”

Tang Ha-ran’s eyes sparkled more than usual as she smiled like a mischievous child.

* * *

The watchers from the Zhuge family and Tang family were watching the campfire from different locations.

At first they wondered how stupid one could be to travel while revealing all their traces, but after discovering poison near that campfire, they couldn’t approach.

Was it confidence or a trap?

In any case, for the time being, just monitoring their location was sufficient.

The watchers spent the night in silence, watching the campfire’s light from afar.

However, by then Jin Ja-gang and Tang Ha-ran were no longer there.

* * *

“Hahaha! Ahahaha!”

Tang Ha-ran ran while laughing like crazy.

She also took deep breaths with all her might.

“Ahhh, I really feel good.”

She had a refreshing expression. Tang Ha-ran was now realizing for the first time that she had escaped the Tang family’s embrace and met complete freedom.

Jin Ja-gang couldn’t fully understand Tang Ha-ran’s feelings, but he could empathize. If the day came when Jin Ja-gang too completely escaped from the bonds of revenge, he would feel the same as Tang Ha-ran.

Tang Ha-ran looked down at her clothes and shrugged her shoulders.

“We’re still the same as when we came out.”

Tang Ha-ran in her torn wedding dress.

Jin Ja-gang still in blood-soaked clothes.

Tang Ha-ran grinned.

“Let’s steal some clothes.”

Tang Ha-ran went down to a private house and stole two sets of clothes.

It was a path that went in a completely different direction from the route to Qingcheng. It was rather somewhat back toward the Tang family. But Jin Ja-gang said nothing.

“You’re really good at this.”

Tang Ha-ran spoke in a cheerful tone while climbing the mountain.

“Following quietly without prying here and there.”

Jin Ja-gang smiled.

“It depends on the person.”

Tang Ha-ran made a sulky expression for no reason, then made a pleased “hmph hmph” sound.

* * *

Whoooosh…

The sound of a distant waterfall could be heard echoing through the valley.

Tang Ha-ran, familiar with the geography, climbed the mountain path without difficulty even at night.

The place they arrived at after quite a while was a strange hot spring area. Groundwater was bubbling up here and there.

Round springs were formed everywhere, and the moon was reflected on the surface of each spring.

“In the past, I often stopped here on my way home after missions were completed.”

Tang Ha-ran let out a long “whew” breath.

“I’ll wash first. Keep watch.”

“Pardon?”

Jin Ja-gang asked back. Not because he couldn’t hear, but because he was flustered. Tang Ha-ran was also flustered.

“Pardon? Then why do you think I suggested coming all the way here?”

“……”

Jin Ja-gang suddenly became speechless.

To keep watch meant he had to watch over Tang Ha-ran while she bathed, but he couldn’t quite gauge how far away he should be to avoid embarrassment.

Seeing Jin Ja-gang’s difficulty, Tang Ha-ran looked a bit incredulous.

“Spineless.”

“Pardon?”

Fortunately or unfortunately, in this awkward situation, they sensed people approaching.

Jin Ja-gang and Tang Ha-ran hid behind rocks.

Soon three young women came up, looking around, and began undressing in front of the spring to wash themselves while giggling.

It wasn’t far from the rock where Jin Ja-gang and Tang Ha-ran were hiding.

Jin Ja-gang was watching with wide eyes wondering if they might be pursuers or assassins who had followed them, when Tang Ha-ran suddenly glared at Jin Ja-gang.

“Look at me.”

Jin Ja-gang looked at Tang Ha-ran as instructed.

“……”

“Keep looking only at me like that until all those women leave.”

Jin Ja-gang looked at Tang Ha-ran as she instructed.

While he was used to staring into opponents’ eyes during fights to compete in momentum, it was only awkward to just make eye contact like this.

“It’s okay.”

Tang Ha-ran told him.

“It’s okay.”

Jin Ja-gang couldn’t understand why Tang Ha-ran kept saying it was okay. However, hearing that it was okay gradually put his mind at ease.

Only then did Jin Ja-gang realize his expression had been stiff from tension.

Splash splash.

The sound of the women swimming and playing in the water could be heard from behind the rock.

“So you see, I…”

“Oh my, really?”

The sound of their giggling while talking about young men from the neighborhood they were interested in continued.

However, Jin Ja-gang didn’t move and only watched Tang Ha-ran. Tang Ha-ran also continued looking at Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang was now able to slowly examine Tang Ha-ran’s face.

Her eyes seemed somewhat fierce in impression, but her large eyes and straight nose felt cute and charming. Completely different appearance from his own. Different feeling.

The women still hadn’t left.

Jin Ja-gang and Tang Ha-ran were still looking at each other. Jin Ja-gang, who had been awkward at first, now felt much less awkward.

Jin Ja-gang unconsciously said in a small voice.

“This is the first time I’ve looked into someone’s eyes for so long without fighting.”

Tang Ha-ran suddenly burst out laughing with a “pfft.” She covered her mouth with her hand but it was too late.

“What was that sound?”

“Someone must be there?”

“Kyaah!”

The women were startled by Tang Ha-ran’s laughter and hurriedly gathered their clothes and ran away.

When the women ran away, Tang Ha-ran laughed even louder. She held her stomach and laughed until tears came to her eyes.

“Ahahaha! Ahaha! What to do. This person really is a fool who only knows how to kill people.”

Whether being told he only knew how to kill people was good or bad, Jin Ja-gang had strange thoughts.

Tang Ha-ran jumped up onto the rock.

“Anyway, they’re all gone so it’s our turn. You just keep watch from behind that rock there. If you peek at me, I’ll scold you. It’s punishment for making me laugh.”

“Why is that punishment?”

“Because if you don’t think it’s punishment, I’ll get angry.”

Tang Ha-ran grabbed her wedding dress with her hand and threw it off forcefully.

The torn red wedding dress fluttered over Jin Ja-gang’s head.

* * *

Jin Ja-gang and Tang Ha-ran each washed themselves and changed into the stolen clothes. Since there were only men’s clothes, they were loose on Tang Ha-ran. Tang Ha-ran skillfully tied the clothes with cloth made from tearing the wedding dress so they wouldn’t be baggy.

Then they found a small cave and sat together at the entrance.

It was still deep night.

Tang Ha-ran lightly leaned her head on Jin Ja-gang’s shoulder.

After staying like that for a while, Tang Ha-ran took out the ring Tang Gui-ok had given her and played with it.

“Do you know what this is?”

“I remember it as the ring great-aunt gave you. She said to sell it and use it for travel expenses.”

Tang Ha-ran chuckled.

“Of course you could do that. But when this ring is given to a daughter of our family, there are various reasons.”

Tang Ha-ran rolled the ring around in her hand.

“As you probably know, if you marry a woman from our family, you have no choice but to become an adopted son-in-law. The man must also live as a Tang for life.”

“I’m aware of that.”

“But a man who wasn’t originally of our family’s blood might be tempted by another woman and betray us at any time. He might be enchanted by beauty and sell our family’s secrets.”

“Such things happen even in married relationships?”

“Yes. There have actually been several such incidents. It probably happened more because Tang family daughters don’t have docile personalities.”

Tang Ha-ran spoke while rolling the ring.

“We women born into this family grow up hearing such words until our ears are sore. And we’re educated on how to control men so they don’t betray us. What we put the most effort into is bedroom arts.”

Tang Ha-ran twisted the ring.

With a click sound, tiny pills like sesame seeds rolled out of the ring.

“That’s when we use this aphrodisiac. In our family, we call this aphrodisiac Heart-Stealing Pills.”

Jin Ja-gang looked at the pellets that had spilled into Tang Ha-ran’s hand.

“No matter how stone-hearted a man is, if he takes this aphrodisiac, his lust will be aroused and he won’t be able to resist. It doesn’t give any room to look at other women. It also serves to quickly continue the family line for our family that values descendants.”

“I see.”

Jin Ja-gang thought for a moment, then said to Tang Ha-ran who was leaning her head on his shoulder.

“Great-aunt naturally gave it knowing what it was.”

“Right. So giving me this ring also means our family hasn’t given up on me yet.”

That’s why Tang Ha-ran had so firmly refused when Tang Gui-ok mentioned “one hundred days.”

Within one hundred days, either make Jin Ja-gang into a Tang family person, or kill Jin Ja-gang.

Then an opportunity would open for Tang Ha-ran to return to the Tang family.

“But I’ll never go back. Even if I end up being abandoned by you.”

Tang Ha-ran’s forced smile had a strange melancholy to it.

“I’ll understand even if that happens. I’m someone born from an enemy family of your family and sect.”

Tears gradually welled up in Tang Ha-ran’s eyes, and before long she cried sadly.

Jin Ja-gang couldn’t console Tang Ha-ran and just watched blankly.

The circumstances of their relationship had become as difficult to unravel as warp and weft threads woven in a complex pattern.

Tang Ha-ran, who had been crying, bit her lip and tried to throw away the Heart-Stealing Pills clenched in her hand.

Then Jin Ja-gang grabbed Tang Ha-ran’s wrist.

Tang Ha-ran looked at Jin Ja-gang in surprise. Jin Ja-gang opened Tang Ha-ran’s hand, picked up the Heart-Stealing Pills, and put them in his own mouth.

Then he quietly gazed into Tang Ha-ran’s eyes and said.

“That won’t happen. Absolutely not.”