Chapter 382

Whoosh!

Rain poured down ceaselessly.

Due to the swollen river, Yeong-gwi could no longer run along the riverbank.

“To go by land, we have to choose between two places.”

Jin Ja-gang, carried on Yeong-gwi’s back, asked.

“Where?”

Since Jin Ja-gang’s voice could be heard right next to her ear, even though she knew it perfectly well, Yeong-gwi kept startling.

“Either pass through Shaanxi to enter Sichuan, or cross over Chongqing. But Mount Hua Sect and Zhongnan Sect are in Shaanxi.”

Both were essentially enemies to Jin Ja-gang and the Poison Gate. The moment Jin Ja-gang’s whereabouts were discovered, they would obviously risk their lives to attack.

On the other hand, Chongqing could still be considered relatively safe as the Yangtze River Sword Gate’s influence reached there. However, they would have to cross treacherous mountains, so they would endure tremendous hardship in such weather. It could take twice as long.

“It’s a matter of whether to take the risk of fighting or choose a difficult environment.”

Warm breath touched her nape, making Yeong-gwi startle again.

“Th-think about such things to yourself! You just need to make a decision!”

“Understood.”

Startled.

“Just tell me the conclusion!”

“We’ll go through Shaanxi.”

“What? Why?”

“…”

Yeong-gwi gritted her teeth.

“Y-you can talk at times like this.”

“Nature cannot be helped. But if it’s people…”

“I know, so stop talking. I knew you’d be like that.”

Yeong-gwi’s heart pounded again at Poison Dragon’s audacity in treating the renowned Mount Hua Sect and Zhongnan Sect as mere ‘people.’ Any ordinary person would have said they’d rather go around through Chongqing than face Mount Hua Sect or Zhongnan Sect.

Yeong-gwi adjusted her grip on Jin Ja-gang and began running again.

“Hey. Isn’t it uncomfortable?”

“It’s uncomfortable.”

“Bear with it. I’m uncomfortable too.”

“Why did you ask? You told me not to talk.”

“…Just because.”

Though they wore rain capes, they couldn’t avoid getting wet. Therefore, Jin Ja-gang’s body was practically pressed against Yeong-gwi’s back.

Every time Jin Ja-gang spoke or breathed, her nape tickled from his warm breath.

But… having that warmth wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

* * *

Drowsiness came.

Even trying to fight off sleep, his eyes strangely kept closing. The side effects of the clarity potion that had always helped in desperate times were useless now.

Yeong-gwi’s back felt very warm, as if his whole body was melting.

‘Is it poison…’

Even thinking it himself, it was a ridiculous excuse, but he felt strangely calm.

If he had to describe the feeling, it was like fitting a missing piece into a broken gear.

It was cozy.

It was truly strange.

To feel drowsy while being carried on the back of a woman who could put a blade to his throat at any moment.

To be acting carelessly while going to fight an unpredictable enemy.

When there was so much to think about.

In a situation where enemies could appear at any time, when he should constantly observe and memorize the surrounding geography as he always did.

Nothing came to mind and nothing entered his sight. When he briefly opened and closed his eyes, completely different scenery had already flashed by.

It was hard to endure. He just wanted to relax and sleep.

Though his body was chilled from the rain, the warmth rising from their touching backs was as warm as a furnace. At some point, he had even forgotten it was raining.

Jin Ja-gang dozed like a cat by the stove and finally fell asleep.

* * *

Yeong-gwi’s lightness techniques were truly excellent.

Pop.

A distance of one zhang disappeared with each step. She ran without hindrance over muddy water and slippery mud. Though carrying Jin Ja-gang, she seemed to feel almost no weight, leaving only small traces from her toes on the ground.

Though they had lost considerable strength including Piercing, Thousand Face Blade Master Ro-gwan’s words that she had the best skills among those remaining weren’t false.

However, Yeong-gwi’s front was soaked with rain. Because she was running at high speed, Yeong-gwi was taking all the falling rain with her body. Relatively, Jin Ja-gang was hardly getting rained on.

She had been running for at least two hours since morning.

Now it was time to rest briefly and have a meal.

“Hey.”

Yeong-gwi called Jin Ja-gang.

“…”

Jin Ja-gang didn’t respond.

“Hey?”

Snore…

“Hey…”

Yeong-gwi called Jin Ja-gang several times before realizing he was asleep and letting out a hollow laugh in disbelief.

Could one fall asleep on someone else’s back? Even while running through rain like this?

She felt strange.

This wasn’t because Jin Ja-gang was ignoring her or trusting her.

Yeong-gwi muttered.

“I know your body is uncomfortable. And since you’re smart, it’s not like you haven’t made efforts. But this is too much…”

Yeong-gwi continued running without resting though it was time to rest.

“I’m warning you, don’t feel at ease thinking I can’t attack you because of the great deed. Whether after the great deed ends or even before, I might put a blade to your throat at any time.”

Why did she need to say such things when Jin Ja-gang probably wasn’t even listening? Yeong-gwi thought even this was somehow strange.

But…

When was the last time she had been in close contact for so long with a living person whose hot blood flowed properly?

Born with a disease called heavenly punishment, she had only been beaten and chased by people. Had she ever felt warmth this close?

Even though her disease had now healed and no longer progressed, she couldn’t get close to people. No, people wouldn’t come close to her.

So all that remained for Yeong-gwi were the people of Leper Mound.

Even the older brother who died to Jin Ja-gang wasn’t her blood brother. He was a sworn sibling she gained after coming to Leper Mound.

But just as Leper Mound’s people were like family, he too was like a real brother to Yeong-gwi.

A surge of emotion.

Something hot welled up in Yeong-gwi’s chest for no reason.

She hated herself for harboring strange feelings toward someone she should hate, and on the other hand, she disliked being in such a situation.

Now she just ran.

She ran and ran, only hoping her pounding heart wouldn’t reach Jin Ja-gang.

* * *

The rain briefly subsided.

Yeong-gwi found a shabby shrine, put Jin Ja-gang down, and rested briefly.

Jin Ja-gang, who had awakened at some point, immediately went around looking for firewood after being set down.

The shrine seemed to have been visited by beggars and travelers several times already, with most wooden items torn apart and traces of fires on the floor. Jin Ja-gang similarly tore off dry planks and lit a fire.

Jin Ja-gang and Yeong-gwi said nothing.

The atmosphere was somehow awkward.

Jin Ja-gang spoke first.

“Where… is this?”

Having dozed the whole time, he had no way of knowing how far they’d come.

“Shangzhou.”

It was where they had just entered Shaanxi from Henan.

Mount Hua Sect was nearby to the north, and Zhongnan Sect was to the west in their direction of travel.

“We need to be alert from now on.”

Jin Ja-gang’s face reddened. He understood what she meant. Having slept the whole way, he couldn’t not know.

“Understood.”

“…”

Words disappeared again.

Crackle, crackle.

The damp firewood burned while emitting heavy smoke.

* * *

Tang Qing opened the door of his office and stepped outside.

Through the open door, about a hundred scholars could be glimpsed bowing their heads in greeting.

It had been four whole days since Tang Qing had emerged from being holed up in his office.

His hair was greasy and unkempt, his clothes completely wrinkled and dirty. He had barely eaten, making his cheeks slightly hollow.

But only his eyes sparkled more than ever.

“To my sister.”

Tang Qing led all the servants who would serve food and attend to him toward the room of family head Tang Gwi-ok.

There wasn’t just Tang Gwi-ok in the family head’s room, but one more person.

It was a small old man with a bent back. But despite his bent back, his back was very high. A large hump protruded from his back.

The old man was none other than a hunchback.

The hunchback old man greeted Tang Qing with his hands behind his back, holding a cane.

Tang Qing’s mouth opened wide to his ears upon seeing the old man.

“Hehe-hehe! Hehehehehe!”

The hunchback old man looked at Tang Qing indifferently, neither surprised nor afraid.

Tang Qing threw himself into a chair as if leaping and said.

“You came.”

“I came.”

Then servants swarmed around Tang Qing. Some washed his hands and face, several took off his shoes to wipe his feet. In an instant, they arranged his hair and changed his outer clothes to new ones. And another fed him food during all this.

The hunchback old man continued watching this scene without saying anything special.

Tang Gwi-ok said.

“Please understand. This is also after four days. If the Divine Physician hadn’t come, he still wouldn’t have come out.”

Divine Physician An Yul-jin!

The hunchback old man was precisely the supreme master of the An family medical house and the Divine Physician with the world’s best medical skills!

An Yul-jin answered bluntly.

“I should understand that much. He’s quite a busy fellow.”

Tang Qing laughed while chewing pancakes.

“Since when were we friends? Do they call someone who stabs you in the back a friend these days?”

An Yul-jin replied without being flustered.

“People like you and me can become friends anytime, and can also become enemies overnight.”

“Not interested. Trust is life in business. You’re like a bat with no credibility.”

“Living in the imperial palace makes such choices unavoidable. You learn that there are no eternal enemies or allies by your side even for a moment. One wrong word and you become a corpse wrapped in straw mats carried out that very night.”

Tang Qing’s grooming was finished. Tang Qing half-ate his food then dismissed the servants.

Unlike before, having become clean, Tang Qing looked at An Yul-jin and smiled coldly.

Then he opened his mouth.

“If you came to make excuses, stop the bullshit and get lost.”

An Yul-jin’s eyebrows twitched. Tang Gwi-ok sighed and shook her head.

“Older brother.”

Tang Qing burst into loud laughter.

“Now I feel refreshed!”

An Yul-jin spoke again without being greatly shaken.

“You must already owe me a debt.”

“Thanks to you, I ate the Medicine Sect well. If I had overlooked it unknowingly, my head would have rolled while sleeping. I’m always grateful to you.”

“Is this the attitude of someone who’s grateful?”

Tang Qing glared at An Yul-jin with small eyes and smiled with his torn mouth.

“Shaolin Temple decided to strike the An family? Your ass caught fire so you came running to me in shock, didn’t you?”

“A child called Poison Dragon is digging behind you. He’s probably gotten quite close.”

“As expected of my son-in-law! Starting with no clues, he’s gotten that far. Didn’t I tell you? He’s a guy who allows no competition.”

The latter words were directed at Tang Gwi-ok, not An Yul-jin. Tang Qing turned his head back to An Yul-jin.

“That’s all? It’s a bit weak to change my mind. Actually…”

Tang Qing lowered his voice and spoke to An Yul-jin as if discussing something important.

“I know that my son-in-law is coming with rebels to take my head. And I know how many of them there are. How’s that, surprising?”

An Yul-jin with a hardened expression added words.

“Then you must also know Shaolin Temple is coming here.”

Tang Qing burst into laughter again.

“Of course I know! But it’s too late!”

Wrinkles gathered on An Yul-jin’s brow.

“What do you mean it’s too late?”