Chapter 383

Tang Qing answered forcefully.

“The time gained by sending my son-in-law as an envoy to Shaolin Temple is a fortnight! Now it takes another fortnight for Shaolin Temple to reach Sichuan! And another fortnight for news of their failure to be delivered to Shaolin Temple! That’s a total of one and a half months!”

The corners of Tang Qing’s mouth rose as his expression twisted like a laughing evil spirit.

I have already obtained all the time I needed!

An Yul-jin’s expression contorted.

He hadn’t expected that even that would be prepared for.

“So… will you… reject my hand?”

Tang Qing bared his teeth and stared directly at An Yul-jin with round eyes as he said.

“How could that be? If I don’t take it, you’ll obviously go elsewhere to ally. And I can’t refuse a hand extended for survival either. That wouldn’t be something to do while wearing a human mask.”

At Tang Qing’s words, An Yul-jin’s expression, which had seemed suppressed until then, began to relax. He even wore a smile.

“Fortunate. Your great-grandchild is lucky. Meeting a grandfather who knows human ethics and saving their life.”

Tang Qing’s eyes twitched.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what I said. That granddaughter named Ha-ran, the Tang family bloodline she has conceived.”

Tang Qing quickly turned to look at Tang Gwi-ok. Tang Gwi-ok answered.

“Ha-ran’s expression hasn’t been good lately, so since the Medical Immortal came, I asked him to take a look.”

“Oh, tsk.”

Tang Qing’s forehead furrowed. It meant he had done something unnecessary and almost had a weakness exposed.

But Tang Gwi-ok shook her head.

“External affairs are older brother’s domain, but protecting the Tang family bloodline under any circumstances is my duty and mission.”

“Right. You’re correct. That’s also important work. I won’t blame you.”

An Yul-jin snorted.

“King of Hell. Know that you’re lucky. Thanks to you making me wait here for a day, I was able to see that child. Otherwise, both child and mother would have died.”

“We have many skilled physicians on our side too. Until a few days ago, there was nothing wrong.”

An indescribable radiance flowed from An Yul-jin’s eyes. An Yul-jin, who was merely a small hunchback, revealed the presence of a giant in an instant.

“King of Hell. You’re looking down on me too much. Are you comparing me to those worthless physician quacks?”

Tremendous internal energy burst forth from An Yul-jin’s body.

Crack, crack.

The stone floor An Yul-jin stood on cracked.

Tang Qing’s aura also rose naturally in response to An Yul-jin’s momentum. His carefully arranged hair stood up and his clothes puffed out.

Strength entered the hand gripping the chair’s armrest, crushing and crumbling the armrest like tofu.

Clatter, clatter. The furnishings in the room shook left and right, making sounds as they hit the floor, and the tea water boiled, steaming.

Tang Qing spoke with his teeth bared and torn mouth seemingly smiling.

“How dare you show off your strength in front of me?”

An Yul-jin didn’t back down either. The shell of the staff An Yul-jin was holding began cracking and falling off. The blade hidden inside the staff was revealed as the shell broke.

“Shall we test whether it’s showing off or not? Shall I guess the child’s father?”

“If you’re wrong, I’ll kill you right here.”

“The child’s father is Poison Dragon. Isn’t that right?”

Tang Qing raised his eyes and laughed.

“Did you hit it based on rumors?”

“Tremendous poison blood flows in the child’s body. That’s affecting the mother too.”

Tang Qing was rather pleased.

“Blood poison? You’re saying blood poison flows in a child that’s only a few months old?”

“Blood poison should only be called blood poison when it can be controlled. Right now it’s just blood mixed with poison. You know well why the Tang family has few heirs, don’t you?”

Because they handle poison. There were many cases of improper pregnancy or infertility. Of course, even when pregnancy occurred, cases of successful childbirth were rare.

“Moreover, it’s the seed of Poison Dragon, who is emerging as the martial world’s greatest poison master. She has conceived Poison Dragon’s essence. I guarantee that during childbirth, not only the mother and child, but everyone within a ten-zhang radius will be unable to escape death.”

An Yul-jin paused in his speech and looked at Tang Qing with the same smile.

“As one who practices medicine, ignoring a mother obviously facing death wouldn’t be something to do while wearing a human mask. King of Hell. I’ll give you a gift. I’ll ensure the child is born safely.”

“What’s the success rate?”

An Yul-jin lowered his voice and continued.

“I’m An Yul-jin. Not only will the child be born healthy, but if I put in a little more effort, that child will be born with the strongest poison-immune constitution in martial world history.”

A small ecstasy formed and disappeared at the corners of Tang Qing’s eyes.

“That wouldn’t be free.”

Saving the mother and child was the price for the Tang family and An family medical house joining hands. But making the child born with a poison-immune constitution was a different matter. Since the child in the womb had to be cared for, it would be a completely different issue from teaching martial arts to an adult.

“There is one thing I’d like to request.”

“Don’t beat around the bush and speak! Don’t you know time is precious between old men who don’t have many days left?”

But An Yul-jin delayed until Tang Qing stamped his feet in frustration and tore his hair before answering.

“My granddaughter.”

Tang Qing’s head tilted crookedly. He understood what An Yul-jin meant to say.

“Oh…”

An Yul-jin said.

“I want to give my granddaughter to Poison Dragon.”

Tang Qing answered with a rotten expression.

“What a terrible deal.”

An Yul-jin retorted.

“It’s the best deal.”

Tang Qing withdrew his momentum and leaned back against his chair.

“I’ll think about that. Our son-in-law’s price seems rather undervalued because of a child that hasn’t even been born yet.”

An Yul-jin also withdrew his internal energy.

“Think it over slowly. I don’t want to undervalue Poison Dragon’s worth either. But I’d like a decision before my son-in-law takes your head.”

“I will. Don’t worry about that.”

King of Hell Tang Qing was watching Poison Dragon.

Soon Poison Dragon’s value would skyrocket.

An Yul-jin judged this and decided to invest. An Yul-jin wrapped his staff blade with cloth from a nearby table and said.

“Then, before starting work, there’s something I’d like to ask as an advance payment.”

“Hmm? Why do you want so many things?”

“It’s nothing much. Earlier you said Poison Dragon and rebels are coming to take your head?”

“I did.”

“But how can you know even how many of them there are? Did you plant spies here and there?”

Tang Qing giggled.

“Being steeped in the formless power struggles of the imperial palace, you’ve forgotten something very basic. The movement of many people inevitably involves something. Do you know what that is?”

“Tell me.”

“The flow of funds.”

Tang Qing raised his index finger and said.

“When many people move, funds flow accordingly. If ten people need to move for a fortnight, money for a fortnight moves with them. The money for ten people to eat, sleep, defecate, and spend is much more than you’d think. Moreover, when it becomes dozens or hundreds of people, even the exact numbers can be estimated.”

“Hmm.”

“If you chase people, they disappear at some point. But if you chase money, traces always remain.”

An Yul-jin’s eyes flashed.

“You’ve seized control of the commercial world.”

Only the commercial world could track the flow of money. When had he extended his reach even to the commercial world? It was truly meticulous beyond comparison. Impressive enough to draw admiration.

“I don’t spend every day rummaging through documents with the scholars I’ve had pass the imperial examinations for nothing. Do you understand?”

Tang Qing’s smile deepened.

“In the imperial palace, hundreds or thousands of taels move easily at a word from the emperor and high officials, so you wouldn’t have known such things.”

An Yul-jin nodded and sheathed his weapon.

“I’ve heard valuable advice.”

“Not at all.”

An Yul-jin said.

“Now your granddaughter and great-grandchild will save their lives.”

“I keep getting annoyed at you calling it great-grandchild. Is that damned great-grandchild a son or daughter?”

An Yul-jin smiled coldly.

“I’ll leave that much as a small pleasure.”

* * *

Yeong-gwi and Jin Ja-gang continued pressing their journey.

Now they chose to move quickly only during heavy rain. This was to avoid being spotted by Mount Hua Sect and Zhongnan Sect people. Of course, they couldn’t guarantee how much they could deceive their attention this way.

They ran for five more days.

There was still no sign of Mount Hua Sect or Zhongnan Sect making moves.

But Jin Ja-gang, who was being carried on Yeong-gwi’s back, suddenly said.

“Wait.”

When Yeong-gwi didn’t stop walking, Jin Ja-gang said again.

“Please stop for a moment.”

“Why?”

Yeong-gwi stopped belatedly.

Splash! Water splashed greatly due to the sudden stop.

Jin Ja-gang got down from her back. Only then did Yeong-gwi realize why Jin Ja-gang had asked to stop.

“The smell of blood?”

Since it was raining heavily, smells didn’t spread well. Smelling blood meant it was very close.

Jin Ja-gang limped forward. Yeong-gwi was about to scold him for walking defenseless without any preparation, then closed her mouth.

Instead, she drew up her internal energy and carefully followed behind Jin Ja-gang.

Not far ahead, as soon as they turned the corner of the mountain path, they found the source of the blood smell.

A small-statured old man stood with his hands behind his back.

Below him, several martial artists could be seen collapsed and bleeding.

Jin Ja-gang saw the old man and cupped his hands.

“It’s been a long time. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

The old man looked at Jin Ja-gang, nodded, then gestured toward the corpses.

“You clean this up.”

“Why are you pushing work you did onto me, Master?”

The old man was about to get angry but held back.

“Then and now, you’re a master at getting on people’s nerves. Can’t you see? This was done because of you.”

When Jin Ja-gang tried to approach the old man, Yeong-gwi stopped him.

The old man with long white eyebrows looked at Yeong-gwi, then at Jin Ja-gang again, and asked.

“What’s with her? I saw she was carrying you the whole way. You two seem quite close?”

“We’re not particularly close.”

“Then who is she?”

Jin Ja-gang couldn’t readily answer. Come to think of it, he couldn’t clearly say what to call Yeong-gwi. A future subordinate but currently an enemy, or should he call her a colleague?

Instead of introducing Yeong-gwi, Jin Ja-gang told Yeong-gwi about the old man.

“This is Taoist Haewol.”

Taoist Haewol clicked his tongue.

“That fellow always acts like this, tsk.”

Yeong-gwi’s eyes widened.

Yeong-gwi cupped her hands.

“I greet the Alliance Leader. I’m just a commoner from Leper Mound.”

“What commoner when you’re a young woman?”

Taoist Haewol scolded. Yeong-gwi swallowed dry saliva. Even though it was hard to see beyond ten zhang due to heavy rain and she was even wearing a human skin mask, how could he recognize her at once!

Jin Ja-gang spoke as if reading Yeong-gwi’s curiosity.

“Master is originally good at seeing through people.”

“You’re really exposing all of people’s secrets in front of others? Ha ha ha.”

Taoist Haewol laughed as if incredulous.

Meanwhile, Jin Ja-gang went to check on the dead martial artists. They were Mount Hua Sect martial artists.

After confirming the identities of the dead, Jin Ja-gang threw the corpses down the cliff to dispose of them.

“By the way, what brings you here?”

Jin Ja-gang asked.

Taoist Haewol looked directly at Jin Ja-gang and opened his mouth.

“I’ll speak directly.”

Taoist Haewol paused briefly then said.

“Don’t go.”