Chapter 168

Dan Ryeong-gyeong was sitting cross-legged when she suddenly bowed her head forward and pressed her hands to the ground.

Retch.

Fresh blood spurted from her mouth.

The Guangtou Brothers panicked, not knowing what to do.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong raised her hand to indicate she was fine and muttered bitterly.

“The Tang family’s poison is truly vicious. I won’t be able to move properly for quite some time.”

Not only the poison, but her severed right arm also needed treatment. Even though she had applied pressure points, applied external medicine, and wrapped it with silk bandages, blood continued to drip. Because it was a wound cut by sword energy, it wouldn’t heal easily.

One of the Guangtou Brothers climbed up a tree to check behind them.

The Zhuge family’s pursuers were continuing to follow them.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong pondered briefly before speaking.

“Let’s return to Sichuan.”

The Guangtou Brothers showed worried expressions. They couldn’t help but worry whether going there now would be safe.

“Right now, that’s the best option.”

In her current physical condition, going all the way to Shandong would be too much. She would have to pass through regions where the Martial Arts Alliance was keeping a sharp watch. Shaanxi, Huguang, Henan… all places teeming with high-level sects. No matter which route she chose, the path back to Shandong wouldn’t be easy.

Rather, it would be best to endure in Sichuan until her body healed.

That was Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s judgment.

The Guangtou Brothers nodded. The two quickly cut bamboo from the surroundings, peeled the bamboo bark to use as rope, and wove the stalks together.

They made a makeshift palanquin and placed Dan Ryeong-gyeong on it. The Guangtou Brothers lifted the palanquin from front and back.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s complexion was pale, but she pressed her lips tightly together and didn’t show it.

“Let’s go.”

The Guangtou Brothers began running with all their might using lightness skills.

* * *

The time Woon-jeong had told him was two days later.

But the distance Jin Ja-gang had walked from the manor was more than four days. The time to return to the manor was definitely tight.

Jin Ja-gang staggered while forcing himself to run.

He had lost energy from resisting Woon-jeong’s sonic technique, and there was also the effect of shooting out Parting Hand Arrow Shot with that body.

However, despite his qi and blood being somewhat injured, his body was overflowing with vitality. It was strange. Even if he fell, he had the strength to get up again.

‘Is it because of that snake called Clear Blood Gland Snake?’

The words that it was a poison creature treasured by the Tang family weren’t empty talk. The poison energy that he usually had to continuously chew and absorb from poisonous plants could be filled instantly with that one snake.

No wonder he had been able to escape from the bonds of the Demon-Kneeling Beheading Ceremonial Bell Resonance with the explosive power of poison energy.

The Clear Blood Gland Snake’s poison currently settled in his dantian amounted to almost five drops.

‘But why did she let me go?’

He couldn’t understand the reason for letting Jin Ja-gang go so readily. No matter how many spiritual beasts and poison creatures the Tang family possessed, each one couldn’t be worthless.

Especially that last look she had shown before letting Jin Ja-gang go was very strange. It was as if she had been surprised by something.

Jin Ja-gang stopped briefly and took long breaths to calm himself.

This too might perhaps be something happening due to those complex political calculations.

Then what should he do?

Jin Ja-gang began to think.

Of course, right now there was insufficient information to easily guess.

But he had to keep practicing.

Whether he knew or didn’t know, whether he understood or didn’t understand, he had to continuously develop the habit of thinking. He had to develop the habit of thinking like a reflex to discover his opponent’s purpose and the reasons for their actions.

Just as he had observed opponents to find their weaknesses and exploited those weaknesses to achieve revenge.

Just as he had survived until now.

This time too, Jin Ja-gang would overcome it.

Jin Ja-gang gritted his teeth, endured the pain, and ran.

* * *

Tang Ha-ran quietly looked at Woon-jeong.

Woon-jeong was restless because Jin Ja-gang had escaped.

She was finding it amusing to watch him, but Woon-jeong wasn’t getting angry but rather blushing and unable to meet her eyes directly.

Woon-jeong was barely fifteen or sixteen years old.

Having just come down from Qingcheng Mountain, he didn’t know much about worldly affairs. Not knowing about worldly affairs included women. Having lived seeing only stubborn male Taoists on the mountain, he couldn’t help but be flustered when facing a woman.

“Your cultivation is lacking.”

At Tang Ha-ran’s words, Woon-jeong’s face became even redder.

“Um… Young Lady, if it’s alright, this poor Taoist should be going now…”

“You may go.”

“What? Really?”

“But I’d like you to leave Poison Dragon alone until he returns to the manor.”

Only then did Woon-jeong frown slightly.

“That’s not something Young Lady can order me to do. I must follow my master’s words above all. And if that fellow returns to the manor, great…”

“So what?”

Tang Ha-ran turned her head sideways and stared at Woon-jeong. Woon-jeong protested with his face red.

“Many people will die!”

“Let them die. Qingcheng Sect isn’t even part of the Martial Arts Alliance anyway.”

“But those who will attack the manor are also Sichuan sects. As fellow Sichuan comrades…”

“Taoist Woon-jeong.”

Tang Ha-ran smiled slightly and was about to say something to Woon-jeong.

But at that moment, Jin Ja-gang’s eyes suddenly came to mind. Unlike the flustered Woon-jeong, Jin Ja-gang’s eyes that had looked directly at her as if challenging her.

Eyes that held blood-stained madness deep within the pupils, blazing like a beast.

It was the first time she had faced such eyes. No, to be honest, it wasn’t the first time.

That fellow Mang Ryo had also shown similar eyes when they first met.

However, if Mang Ryo’s eyes contained only vicious anger and madness, Jin Ja-gang’s eyes burned with a more passionate fervor.

The fighting spirit of a wounded beast.

Like a wolf that had been bitten by a tiger, the king of the mountains, but still wouldn’t give up and bared its teeth… untamed, raw eyes.

Thump… Tang Ha-ran’s heart grew hot.

Recalling how she had been momentarily overwhelmed then made her mood suddenly turn bad.

Tang Ha-ran suddenly drew up her internal energy and stomped her foot.

Bang!

Dirt exploded upward as high as a person.

Whoosh!

The surprised Woon-jeong and Tang Li-sim dodged backward.

As the dirt settled, a round pit could be seen dug under Tang Ha-ran’s foot.

Tang Ha-ran ground her teeth with an audible sound.

Woon-jeong blinked. Tang Ha-ran’s internal energy was no ordinary thing. While he could fight if he had to, it was scary enough that he didn’t want to fight.

‘Master said women are scary so I should be careful no matter what…’

It seemed his master’s words weren’t false.

Come to think of it, his master’s words to be careful of women seemed to contain many meanings. Being careful meant not fighting, and not fighting could mean he shouldn’t go against a woman’s words.

While Woon-jeong was pondering, Tang Ha-ran didn’t say another word and just turned around and left. Tang Li-sim also looked at Woon-jeong as if there was nothing to be done, gave a formal cupped-fist salute, and followed Tang Ha-ran.

“Huh?”

Left alone, Woon-jeong didn’t know what to do.

“Y-Young Lady Tang! You should finish our conversation before leaving…”

But Tang Ha-ran had already leaped up with lightness skills and disappeared.

She had said he could go, so should he just go?

Or should he follow Jin Ja-gang again and monitor him?

“Ah, this is driving me crazy. Master’s orders are never easy. Primordial Heavenly Venerable.”

Woon-jeong followed Jin Ja-gang with a complicated heart.

* * *

Jin Ja-gang ran and ran again to save time.

Even if Woon-jeong was following, there was no time to work on shaking off pursuit.

Limp, limp.

Since only one side of his qi and blood channels were open, if he wasn’t conscious of it, there would naturally be a difference in speed between his two sides, so Jin Ja-gang naturally limped.

Woon-jeong watched this from afar.

His feelings were strange.

“Why is that fellow pushing himself so hard and running like that…”

At least he wasn’t running because he was excited about killing people.

Jin Ja-gang didn’t even take meals. When hungry, he would peel and chew tree bark while running or drink water from streams. And he kept running. He ran without rest.

Since he couldn’t use lightness skills and was running like ordinary people, it looked even more pitiful.

His running speed was somewhat faster than ordinary people and he didn’t tire easily, but that was all.

At that point, even a fool couldn’t help but know.

That he was running to arrive in time before the manor was attacked.

Jin Ja-gang ran for a full day without sleeping.

But no matter how good Jin Ja-gang’s stamina was, there were limits. He couldn’t use internal energy because it would damage his qi and blood. Of course, he hadn’t yet learned lightness skills either.

“Huff! Huff!”

Jin Ja-gang collapsed after running for a day. His entire body was drenched in sweat and his chest was already soaked with blood that had seeped from his wounds. Blood drops fell with every step he took.

Jin Ja-gang lay spread-eagle and looked up at the sky. He was completely exhausted.

Swoosh.

A person’s shadow covered Jin Ja-gang.

It was Woon-jeong.

Jin Ja-gang said while gasping for breath.

“Huff huff… you caught up quickly… cough cough. You caught up.”

However, even in the midst of this, Jin Ja-gang pointed his finger at Woon-jeong. In case he had to use Parting Hand Arrow Shot and fight.

Woon-jeong showed through his expression that he had no intention of attacking at all.

With a very complex expression, Woon-jeong asked.

“I absolutely cannot help but ask. What makes you run so desperately?”

Jin Ja-gang answered while gasping for breath.

“Didn’t I tell you? That there are people I must save. Whew, whew.”

“At this pace, you won’t be able to arrive in time anyway.”

Jin Ja-gang laughed helplessly.

“I suppose so. I ran as hard as I could, but it still won’t be enough to make it in time.”

“Then will you give up?”

“No. Not yet.”

Woon-jeong’s face contorted.

“What? No, there isn’t enough time. Time.”

Woon-jeong shook his head.

“I don’t understand either. If you were simply a murderer, there would be no reason to whip yourself so harshly and run like this.”

“I feel the same way. I, whew… came out after digging through underground rock walls for eight years to get revenge. But… I’m going like this knowing I might die without finishing my revenge.”

“Then why? As you told me, is it to save people? But in your current condition, it would be useless, wouldn’t it? With a body that hasn’t slept or eaten properly.”

“…”

Jin Ja-gang didn’t answer and thought for a moment.

At first, very complex thoughts arose. Why such things had happened, why the Tang family and Qingcheng Sect were fighting over him, why the Martial Arts Alliance had suddenly decided to attack the manor where he had been staying. What role the suddenly appeared Mang Ryo was playing in all this.

The tangled situation became more complex the more he thought about it, making Jin Ja-gang’s head feel ready to burst. However, while continuing to run, Jin Ja-gang’s complex thoughts gradually emptied and became white. The complex thoughts flew away and only one question remained.

Why am I running?

He had raised the same question that Woon-jeong was curious about. Even running like this, he couldn’t arrive in time, and even if he arrived, there was no guarantee he could save them.

Then why, when he first heard from Woon-jeong that the manor would be attacked, did he first think he absolutely had to go?

Even though it might be completely useless… literally a waste of time.

No matter how much he thought about it, this was definitely not behavior befitting Jin Ja-gang until now. He had acted emotionally, fighting with the Qingcheng Sect Taoist without calm preparation.

Why on earth had he thought he absolutely had to run there?

Jin Ja-gang had run for a full day but still hadn’t found the answer.

But instead of an answer, he had reached a conclusion.

So he could answer Woon-jeong.

Looking at Woon-jeong, who still had a curious expression, Jin Ja-gang said.

“I think I won’t know until I go and see for myself. So I have to go. If I don’t find out now, I feel like I’ll never know until I die.”