Chapter 26

The Blue Marlin's voyage began with the ringing of a large bell attached beside the bow.

Following the captain's orders, as they raised the anchor and unfurled the three huge sails, the wind-filled sails pulled the ship.

While the sailors worked hard, Turan leisurely lay on his cabin bed reading books.

The first was about ship regulations.

After explaining various positions on the ship starting with the captain, it listed unwritten rules and superstitions, with quite a few strange ones.

Not taking women aboard, not looking down at the sea at night, not whistling…

So many things that weren't allowed, it seemed excessive.

Moreover, the punishments for breaking rules were all brutal, with many involving tying someone to the mast for whipping.

Next he read the book about merfolk, which, probably being written near where merfolk actually lived, had several more detailed and specific contents than what was in Orem City's library.

From stories about the magic mirror connecting North and South seas to tales of mermaid royalty who could transform into giant fish.

For something bought just because it caught his eye, it had many interesting stories that helped pass time well.

After enjoying reading for a couple hours, Turan started feeling cramped in the narrow cabin, so he closed his book and went up to the deck.

The land had long since disappeared beyond the horizon, with deep blue seawater filling every direction.

Because of this, even though the ship was cutting through the wind, it didn't feel like they were making progress.

"Oh my, Sir Knight has come!"

First Mate Osban greeted him as he came up to the deck.

Thanks to referencing the ranks of sailors in the book earlier, he knew this was the second highest position on the ship after the captain.

From being responsible for all cargo to operating the ship in the captain's absence?

Though for such a position, he seemed rather lightweight with his excessive groveling.

"It felt stuffy inside so I came out for some air."

"The cabin is a bit like that, isn't it? Haha… Actually merchant ships aren't usually this bad."

Osban explained it was because the greedy shipowner had excessively enlarged the cargo hold to stuff in more cargo.

Originally even senior sailors could each use rooms slightly larger than Turan's cabin, but on this ship they had to share one larger room.

Turan decided to be grateful he could use a room alone.

"I heard it takes twenty days to a month to reach the Enril Desert."

"Yes. Though that's assuming good wind and waves. The North Sea is quite rough."

Osban said he had sailed in the South Sea in his youth, where there were few waves and weak winds so ships couldn't go fast but there were almost no variables in navigation.

In contrast, the North Sea was the complete opposite – when catching favorable winds they could literally fly like the wind, but one mistake could greatly throw them off course or even sink them.

Not to mention pirates and merfolk swarming everywhere indiscriminately.

"But having you aboard makes us feel secure, Sir Knight!"

Though he hadn't even seen his abilities, Osban loudly proclaimed that with Turan aboard, pirates and merfolk wouldn't dare touch this ship.

Though somewhat embarrassed by such flattery, Turan didn't tell him to stop.

It seemed it would only worsen the atmosphere, and moreover, the lower-ranked sailors nearby showed relief hearing Osban's words.

He seemed to be deliberately boasting like this to reassure his subordinates.

Actually, regardless of the weak basis, his faith itself wasn't wrong.

There weren't many enemies who could touch a merchant ship guarded by someone with upper-middle class strength even among nobles.

After listening to continued praise for a while, Turan asked Osban what he was curious about.

"Actually I don't understand why knights' wages are so high here. Wouldn't it be more profitable for the Karmaine family to station knights at reasonable prices to prevent merchant ships from being plundered? They must collect taxes on every trade anyway."

Even Arabion had knights doing ship work in their vassal family territories.

Though he hadn't looked into it deeply, surely they weren't paying wages so high that even theaters couldn't afford them.

"Well, that…"

At such questioning, Osban scratched his cheek and answered in a somewhat careful tone.

"Pardon my saying so, but this sailing work means not knowing when you might die. When we sailors lose contact with someone for a few years, we don't think they've gone far away, but that they've died. So…"

"You mean even knights get scared since they'll die if the ship sinks anyway?"

"Th-that's not what I meant!"

"No, thinking about it, that makes sense. There really are reasons for everything."

Thinking about it, he too wouldn't easily dare try returning to land if the ship suddenly sank in the middle of the sea.

Though there was plenty of seawater to magically purify for drinking and fish could be caught and cooked for food, swimming to land would be tremendously difficult and how would one sleep?

If even Turan felt this way, ordinary knights would soon run out of magic power to become no different from normal humans before drowning.

Perhaps the Karmaine family had actively put knights on merchant ships in the past, but started demanding high wages because they couldn't handle the losses.

"Seems like some interesting conversation going on."

Just then, Captain Pires came up from below deck adjusting his eyepatch and said this.

He first bowed slightly to Turan.

"I haven't been able to greet our esteemed guest for several hours since welcoming you. I hope these idiots haven't caused you any discomfort?"

"Not at all. I've been hearing many informative stories."

"That's good. Osban? The wheat storage area looks like it might leak, go rearrange things."

"Yes sir!"

At Pires' order, Osban thumped his chest with his fist before going below deck.

Looking at Pires, Turan asked the question he had been meaning to ask.

"By the way, what do you mainly sell in the Enril Desert? I don't know anything about that area."

"Various things. Since it's truly just sand, they can't grow cotton so cotton and cotton cloth sell well, and after land trade with Arabion was cut off, grain sells a lot too. But the return journey is what really matters."

"The return?"

"Yes. While things needed in the Enril Desert are all heavy and bulky compared to their price, things coming from there to Abacha are expensive and easy to store. Since it's mostly spices and gems, we can even sleep more comfortably on the way back."

"Too bad I can't take the return journey with you."

At Turan's banter, Pires giggled and asked back.

"Will you be staying long in the Enril Desert?"

"Yes, probably."

Actually, Turan still hadn't clearly thought of how to find his roots in Zahar's land.

Barging into the main house without even knowing his father's status was like reaching into a box not knowing if it contained treasure or a sword.

But excluding that method, he had at most a portrait depicting his mother's face and a few belongings as clues.

With just those, he might need to stay in the desert for several years or more.

* * *

Very fortunately, Turan's first voyage proceeded smoothly for a week.

Without storms, tidal waves, or attacks from pirates and merfolk.

Which meant, days continued with nothing to do and boredom.

"This is the number 5 rope?"

"Yes. When strong headwinds blow from the front, we need to quickly furl the sails by loosening this and those two middle ropes over there. Otherwise the ship will just spin in place."

"Oho."

Having finished the books, Turan satisfied his thirst for knowledge by catching available sailors one by one to learn various skills from sailing methods to techniques.

Though the sailors were initially flustered that a knight like heaven would learn skills that lowly sailors use, seeing him listen attentively and never easily forget what he learned once, they generously passed on various tips and tricks.

Actually just looking at appearance, Turan was close to the youngest among the sailors here, so there wasn't much awkwardness in teaching him.

"Meal time!"

"Come on, let's eat! Everyone to the dining room!"

Meals came three times a day, and as expected, both quantity and quality were incomparably crude compared to meals on land.

This was because they hadn't allocated much space for food storage to begin with, and most preserved foods were low quality.

Since even the captain's cabin wasn't very spacious, Captain Pires and Turan also ate with the sailors in the ship's largest dining room.

"Still good we didn't leave out this pickled cabbage! We'd all have died of gum disease long ago without it!"

"Gum disease?"

"Yes. A disease where you die bleeding from the gums, but sour foods cure it. Since fruit spoils quickly, pickled cabbage is best. Though it tastes terrible. Khe."

Boatswain Lenak eating hardtack with salted meat and pickled cabbage beside him laughed while speaking as if trying to scare him.

Perhaps because Turan had asked many questions while learning ship handling skills over the past few days, though his speech was still honorific, he now treated Turan like one of his young sailors.

"That's interesting. How did people learn about that?"

"Well, such things must have spread after someone discovered them sometime. Before that was known, they even ate merfolk raw."

"Oh."

Suddenly reminded of dark elf necromancers munching on people, Turan's appetite dropped and he put down what he was eating.

Just then, a shout was heard from the sailor observing surroundings at the top of the mast.

"Ship! 2 o'clock forward! Medium-sized!"

"What?"

"Pirates?!"

When one of the dining sailors shouted, an answer came shortly after.

"Can't tell! No family flag raised!"

"Feels like pirates. Weather was too good with no rain. Battle stations for now!"

At the boatswain's order, the dining sailors rushed to the deck or distributed weapons without anyone needing to go first.

First Mate Osban turned the Blue Marlin left to try avoiding the approaching ship, while Captain Pires watched his subordinates handle the situation with a fairly composed attitude though somewhat tense.

Turan slipped past the busily moving sailors to the deck and used detection magic to check the approaching ship.

At a glance it looked slightly smaller than their Blue Marlin with four masts, and estimating, it seemed slightly faster than them.

Shortly after, the unidentified ship turned right as if pursuing the Blue Marlin.

"Damn, they were pirates after all!"

"What should we do, Captain? Try to shake them? They're a bit faster so we might get caught in a long chase. With good wind we might dock at a nearby island before getting caught."

Turan felt Pires' gaze briefly scanning him.

Though they had verified his skill once, since they hadn't seen his actual combat ability, he seemed somewhat uneasy.

"Will you be alright?"

"No problem unless there's a knight or noble aboard."

"…Very well. Turn the ship! We'll engage!"

"Long live Sir Knight!"

"Kill them all!"

At Turan's confident answer, the Blue Marlin's sailors showed somewhat anxious but trusting attitudes.

Shortly after, the Blue Marlin turned direction again and rapidly closed distance with the enemy ship.

Though the likely pirate crew seemed perplexed by the Blue Marlin's sudden turn, they didn't withdraw their aggressive stance.

"Hey-stop your ship-! Then we'll spare your lives-!"

When the distance closed to a few hundred meters, a man standing at the bow shouted in a booming voice.

Hearing this, Turan grew curious and asked the boatswain beside him.

"Do they really spare lives if you surrender?"

"I've heard they do as they please."

"As expected."

Well, it would be strange for pirates who don't follow laws to keep promises.

Thanks to this, Turan too could act freely without any guilt.

After all, humans who kill humans for their own desires were just wolves that needed to be hunted.

The two sailing ships drew closer and closer.

When the distance reached thirty or forty meters, Turan leaped with transcendent leg strength and landed on the pirate ship's deck.

The pirates showed dumbfounded expressions seeing the deck crack with a boom.

Chapter 26: Everyone Must Stand Alone Someday (1)

The dust that had plunged the surroundings into darkness, as though night had fallen, gradually settled. But Oh Gi-o and the guards did not move. No—they could not move.

It was because of the man who had emerged from the dust.

He was like a beast. His hair was a tangled mess, and a beard covered his chest, and between them gleamed a terrifying light.

He wore barely enough tattered cloth to cover himself, and around his waist was tied a small bundle wrapped in cloth.

"Hoo!"

From the man's lips escaped a sound like the breathing of a wild animal.

In that instant, Oh Gi-o and Yoo Pyo felt their blood turn cold.

They sensed in his rough breathing the breath of a predator.

It was as though they stood naked before a fierce, savage beast. That was why they could not move.

'What manner of being…'

'Ugh!'

The man kept his eyes lowered and simply breathed in ragged gasps for some time.

With each breath he drew, the dust that still hung in the air swayed. That ghastly sight kept Oh Gi-o from finding his voice.

Then, without warning, the beast-like man raised his head and looked at them. A gaze of such intensity drilled into their eyes.

"Kugh!"

Oh Gi-o dared not meet the man's stare and hastily bowed his head.

From merely glimpsing his gaze, Oh Gi-o's heart was pounding wildly.

'What sort of killing intent is this…'

Oh Gi-o was the chief guard of the Silver Lotus Trading Company, and he prided himself on having weathered every storm. Yet never in his life had he encountered anyone with eyes like these.

A man whose gaze alone could kill—that was what Oh Gi-o believed.

After studying them for a time, the man finally spoke.

"Who… are you?"

His voice was exceedingly rough and hoarse.

Had Oh Gi-o not concentrated intently, he would not have understood the man's words. But now, they rang in Oh Gi-o's ears as loud as a bell.

Oh Gi-o answered hastily.

"I… I am Oh Gi-o, chief guard of the Silver Lotus Trading Company."

"Silver Lotus Trading Company?"

The man murmured as though hearing the name for the first time.

"We are a trading company based in Nan Prefecture. We travel primarily to the Western Regions to trade goods."

Oh Gi-o answered with desperate earnestness.

For if he did not, he feared he would lose his composure entirely.

Beside him, Yoo Pyo and Cheong-o were pale as ghosts, their hands gripping their sword hilts. Such was the overwhelming pressure of the killing intent the man radiated.

"So you are bound for the Western Regions?"

"No. We are returning to the Central Plains."

"How convenient!"

At the sound of the man's voice, Oh Gi-o realized he had answered wrongly.

"I shall impose upon you for a time."

"…"

He could not refuse. The man's gaze was too terrifying.

It felt as though his heart were being squeezed.

Cho Su-gwang, master of the Silver Lotus Trading Company, looked upon the strange man that Oh Gi-o and the others had brought and could not conceal his bewilderment.

"And this person is?"

"I will explain the circumstances later. For now, he has agreed to travel with us as far as the nearest village."

Cho Su-gwang's brow furrowed.

He saw the desperate light in Oh Gi-o's face. Oh Gi-o gazed at him with eyes that pleaded with equal urgency.

"Ah… very well."

In the end, Cho Su-gwang could only nod.

With Cho Su-gwang's approval, Oh Gi-o set to work.

"Cheong-o, find this man a set of clothing."

"Understood."

"And…"

Oh Gi-o glanced around quickly. His gaze settled on a wagon in the middle of the column.

He pointed at the wagon.

"My lord, you may ride in that wagon."

"Mm."

The man who had arrived with Oh Gi-o nodded.

On the way here, the killing intent the man radiated had diminished markedly. It was as though he had reined himself in.

As a result, though he still looked strange, he no longer seemed so terrifying. That was why Cho Su-gwang and the merchants could not fathom why Oh Gi-o and the others had been so terrified of the man.

The man took the clothing that Cheong-o brought and walked toward the wagon Oh Gi-o had indicated.

"Mm."

As the man drew near, the wagon's owner, Bang Woo-gwang, frowned. His appearance—clothed in nothing but tattered rags to cover his private parts—was grotesque enough, but it was the man's distinctly rough and wild bearing that troubled him.

But this was a man brought by Oh Gi-o, the chief guard. As a mere cook, he could not refuse.

"If you are willing to ride in the luggage compartment, you are welcome to do so."

The man nodded and climbed into the wagon's cargo hold.

"Hello."

The one who greeted him was none other than Bang Jin-bo.

Bang Jin-bo regarded the man with his strange, unsettling air and offered a bright, guileless smile.

"Heh heh! My name is Bang Jin-bo. Just call me Jin-bo. What is your name, mister… brother?"

At Bang Jin-bo's question, the man raised his head briefly and gazed at the sky, as though searching for his own name.

After a moment, he finally spoke.

"Dam Ho. My name is Dam Ho."

***

Bang Jin-bo lay on the wagon, eyes wide, gazing at Dam Ho. Dam Ho lay with his hands folded behind his head, staring at the sky.

The sky was a maddening blue. He did not know how long it had been since he last saw such a blue sky. And yet, oddly, he felt no joy.

He should have been elated, but his heart was as heavy as a stone. He seemed a man who had lost all capacity for emotion.

Suddenly, he felt Bang Jin-bo's gaze upon him. The boy was peering at him like a stray cat.

Dam Ho moistened his mouth briefly.

Having gone so long without speaking, he now required a certain amount of preparation simply to open his mouth.

At last, a hoarse voice escaped from between Dam Ho's lips.

"Do you know of the Demonic Cult?"

"The Demonic Cult?"

Bang Jin-bo's eyes widened. He was that startled. But he quickly nodded.

In the depths of his tangled hair, Dam Ho's eyes gleamed.

"How long has it been since the Demonic Cult was destroyed?"

Bang Jin-bo could not answer and looked to his father. He had heard the word "Demonic Cult" but did not know exactly when or how they had been destroyed.

Bang Woo-gwang, receiving his son's gaze, answered instead.

"As far as I know, it has been more than thirty years. Thirty-two years, to be precise. But why do you ask?"

"…"

Dam Ho did not answer. No—he could not.

'Then I have been imprisoned in the Thousand Gold Demonic Prison for twelve years?'

A tremor ran through his shoulders.

He had believed it to be at most five or six years. He had thought a gap of that length in one's life was acceptable.

But twelve years! It was enough time for the mountains and rivers to change and still have two years to spare.

He had come here at eighteen. He was now exactly thirty. He had spent nearly half his life in that lightless abyss.

The twenties—the golden years of one's life—had not existed for him.

"Heh heh heh!"

A quiet laugh escaped through his lips. But the moment Bang Jin-bo and Bang Woo-gwang heard it, they felt their hearts drop.

Their faces turned ashen in an instant.

That was not all.

Neighhh!

The horses pulling the baggage wagons suddenly went wild, rearing and bucking.

"Kugh!"

Even the guards, who had trained in martial arts, felt their meridians shaken and hastily raised their internal energy.

"My lord! Please, calm yourself…"

When Oh Gi-o could endure no more and made his plea, Dam Ho ceased laughing.

"Hoo!"

Only then did sighs of relief escape from various quarters. Among them were Bang Woo-gwang and Bang Jin-bo, owners of the wagon in which Dam Ho rode.

Their faces had gone white as sheets. They had never imagined that the strange man they had picked up would emit such terrifying killing intent.

'I've picked up Death himself.'

Bang Woo-gwang's face crumpled.

For the first time, he cursed Oh Gi-o for stuffing Dam Ho into his wagon.

Dam Ho pressed his lips firmly together.

Even the slightest expression, even a smile, allowed killing intent to leak forth. Whether it was because he had spent twelve years in isolation, or because of the demonic martial arts he had studied in the Myriad Demon Archive, Dam Ho did not know. No—he did not even care.

But those around him were different.

A tiger does not trouble itself with the sheep, but the sheep have no choice but to watch the tiger. So it was with them—they could not take their eyes off Dam Ho's every movement.

'Where did this demon come from? We have brought a calamity upon ourselves.'

Cho Su-gwang shut his eyes tight.

He cursed Oh Gi-o for bringing this calamity. But thinking further, he realized Oh Gi-o had likely had no choice.

No matter how skilled Oh Gi-o was as chief guard of the Silver Lotus Trading Company, he was vastly outmatched by the renowned masters of the martial world.

The aura and presence radiating from the man overwhelmed Oh Gi-o. Even if every guard of the Silver Lotus Trading Company attacked together, they would not be a match for him.

He could only pray that Dam Ho would leave as soon as possible. But contrary to their wishes, Dam Ho fell into a deep sleep.

Dam Ho did not open his eyes until a considerable time had passed.

"Brother, wake up."

Someone was shaking him. When he opened his eyes, he saw Bang Jin-bo looking down at him.

"What is it?"

"Have something to eat."

"Eat?"

Dam Ho raised his upper body. The wagons were gathered in a circle in the middle of the open field.

While he slept, Cho Su-gwang had decided to camp. People prepared quietly, wary of waking Dam Ho.

Bang Woo-gwang and his son, swept up in the prevailing mood, prepared food in silence.

The people gathered around the hearth eyed Dam Ho warily. He saw the fear in their eyes.

The object of their fear was himself.

He harbored no intention of threatening them, yet they regarded him as a threat.

Dam Ho spoke to Bang Jin-bo.

"Bring my meal separately."

"Why not eat together with us?"

"I am more comfortable here."

"Alright."

Bang Jin-bo went to the hearth with a helpless expression. When he returned, a large wooden bowl was filled to the brim with freshly prepared food.

"Father and I made this. Please, eat plenty."

"My thanks."

Dam Ho accepted the bowl.

In that instant, the spicy aroma stimulated his senses.

"We placed stir-fried pork on top of the rice. It is quite spicy in the Sichuan style, so be careful."

"…"

"Heh heh! I made it myself, so please forgive me if it doesn't taste good."

Dam Ho looked at Bang Jin-bo. The boy smiled as though he had never been afraid of Dam Ho in the first place.

Dam Ho raised his chopsticks and lifted rice and stir-fried pork together.

His hand trembled.

He carefully brought the food to his mouth. The sweet juices of the pork spread throughout.

"How is it?"

He heard the hopeful note in Bang Jin-bo's voice. But Dam Ho did not answer.

Bang Jin-bo's face quickly fell.

"Is it bad?"

"No. It is delicious."

"Really?"

"Truly."

The corners of Dam Ho's eyes trembled.

How could it not be delicious?

For the first time in twelve years, he was tasting warm food.

Miao Ligoujao, the leader of the Extreme Poison Sect, glared at Mang-ryo.

“First you lost the Five-Colored Centipede… then you fell out of favor despite us submitting an application to join the Martial Arts Alliance… and now Bloody Hand is dead too…”

Mang-ryo remained silent like a mute who had swallowed honey. Miao Ligoujao, who was over sixty years old, was more famous for his cruel personality than his martial arts skills.

“Thanks to you, the Vice Sect Leader of the Medicine King Sect escaped, and even Great Desert Saber, who was quite useful, has become a traveler of no return. The damage is truly severe.”

Miao Ligoujao continued speaking as he walked around the room with his hands behind his back.

Then he stopped.

“I simply cannot believe these are the actions of a mere child. What do you think, Elder?”

Mang-ryo’s face twisted. Miao Ligoujao was ultimately pressing him for answers.

Mang-ryo replied with a hoarse voice.

“Sect Leader, that child has unimaginable luck on his side.”

“Then you should have been more attentive. How could you let things get to this point by failing to handle one small child? Tsk.”

Miao Ligoujao added:

“There are many complaints that you’re acting too independently and excessively. Last time, you took many people to search the Mixed Spring Ground… and this time, you unilaterally decided to take a large number of personnel to Triple Mountain Peak, only to return empty-handed.”

“That was to catch him…!”

Miao Ligoujao’s eyebrows twitched.

“You shouldn’t have tried to catch him—you should have killed him! If you encounter someone who might block your path, just kill them. Why do you keep trying to keep them alive? In our current position, don’t you know how valuable talents like Bloody Hand and Great Desert Saber are?”

“That’s… not it.”

“If you understand, then take some time to rest and reflect!”

Mang-ryo’s eyes filled with bloodshot fury.

“Sect Leader! Let me pursue him! Afterward, I’ll rest or reflect or whatever you want!”

“Aish, you still haven’t come to your senses?”

Miao Ligoujao became angry.

“Nine-tenths of Yunnan is mountains. Do you think they’ll be caught so easily? And how would it look to others if Elder Mang were to go scouring all over Yunnan with one eye and one leg? What would become of our Extreme Poison Sect’s reputation?”

“Sect Leader!”

Miao Ligoujao stomped his foot.

Bang! The floor crumbled beneath him.

“The boy uses poison, you say! I’ve already sent Longlao and Sa Heung-sam! I don’t want to hear any more, so just hand it over!”

Longlao was an elder of the Extreme Poison Sect who had risen rapidly while Mang-ryo had fallen. He was an expert in poison techniques, making him both a competitor and an enemy to Mang-ryo.

Hearing that Longlao had been dispatched, Mang-ryo gritted his teeth. A sense of defeat and despair enveloped his entire body.

“What… are you asking me to hand over?”

Mang-ryo watched Miao Ligoujao carefully.

Miao Ligoujao spoke briefly:

“The secret manuals of the Medicine King Sect and Hundred Flower Valley!”

At Miao Ligoujao’s words, Mang-ryo clenched his teeth. These were spoils of war that Mang-ryo had obtained. Now he was about to lose even those.

“Hurry!”

Miao Ligoujao’s low, pressing voice made it clear that he would not tolerate refusal.

Realizing that further resistance was futile, Mang-ryo bit his lip. He took a box placed on one side of the room and pressed its side to release the mechanism.

Click.

The sound of the mechanism being released was heard.

As Mang-ryo handed over the box, Miao Ligoujao gestured.

A warrior waiting behind approached and received the box. The warrior opened the box, took out the book inside, and handed it to Miao Ligoujao.

“Why is there only one?”

At Miao Ligoujao’s words, Mang-ryo looked up.

“That can’t be…”

“Hmm?”

The warrior who was about to hand the book to Miao Ligoujao flinched and dropped it.

Thud.

“What are you doing?”

Miao Ligoujao was annoyed but then startled.

The warrior’s face turned bluish, and blood flowed from his nose. The warrior fell to his knees.

“Ugh! Uuugh!”

The warrior writhed on the floor in agony.

Mang-ryo hurriedly picked up the book. Then he discovered a poisoned needle embedded in the book.

Cold sweat covered his entire body.

“W-why is this…?”

He flipped through the book.

No matter how many pages he turned, there was nothing inside—it was completely empty. This was the fake manual that Mang-ryo had given to Gwak-o.

“How did this end up here…?”

Mang-ryo frantically looked at Miao Ligoujao.

Miao Ligoujao’s expression was ice-cold.

His face showed that he roughly understood what had happened.

“Tsk.”

Miao Ligoujao clicked his tongue, looked at Mang-ryo with contemptuous eyes, then abruptly left the room. It was obvious what kind of treatment Mang-ryo would receive in the Extreme Poison Sect from now on.

“Ugh! Ugh! E-Elder. P-please save me!”

Even as the poisoned warrior rolled on the floor crying out in agony, Mang-ryo couldn’t hear his words.

“AAAAARGH!”

Mang-ryo roared with all his might.

“You b*st*rd, Jin Ja-gang—!”

* * *

Clip-clop, clip-clop…

The horse that had been running without rest gradually slowed down.

Clop, clop.

Its speed decreased until it was just walking slowly.

“The horse seems tired. We should rest a bit.”

Jin Ja-gang said.

But there was no response from Yong-myeong, who was riding behind him.

“Mister?”

Jin Ja-gang looked up at Yong-myeong.

Yong-myeong was sweating profusely, his lips were swollen, and his mouth was twisted. He was clearly not in a normal state.

“Mister.”

Yong-myeong, barely opening his eyes, spoke with difficulty.

“I’m sorry… I’m done for…”

Then, showing the whites of his eyes, he tumbled off the horse.

Thud.

The horse was startled and stood in place.

Neigh!

Jin Ja-gang was alarmed.

‘Ah! Poisoning!’

Jin Ja-gang had failed to consider Yong-myeong’s poisoning.

Even though they had been struck by the same poison, Jin Ja-gang was fine. His symptoms had already appeared and subsided. So he had thoughtlessly assumed the same would be true for Yong-myeong.

‘How stupid…’

Yong-myeong was different from Jin Ja-gang. Far from subsiding, his poisoning was getting worse, and his condition was deteriorating. This was the normal reaction for ordinary people.

Jin Ja-gang looked back. The winding mountain path they had traveled stretched behind them.

No one was visible yet, but pursuers could arrive at any moment. There was an anxiety that someone might come chasing after them, brandishing swords at any moment. No, they might already be close behind.

The horse was exhausted too. It now seemed unlikely to be able to carry both of them any further.

‘What should I do?’

Treating Yong-myeong’s poisoning was one thing, but even getting him back onto the horse was difficult for Jin Ja-gang alone.

If survival was the priority, it would be best for Jin Ja-gang, who was lighter, to continue riding the horse and escape alone.

With no other options available, they couldn’t all die trying to save someone who was already drowning.

But Jin Ja-gang couldn’t forget how the Medicine King Sect people had died trying to save him. Yong-myeong too had thrown himself in harm’s way to save Jin Ja-gang. Blood was still seeping from his pierced shoulder.

Having survived through the deaths and sacrifices of these Medicine King Sect people, he couldn’t dismiss it as nothing.

Even if Jin Ja-gang had important reasons to survive, if the process was filled with betrayal and ingratitude, it couldn’t possibly be the right path.

Above all, Jin Ja-gang was emotionally distraught.

The walls around his heart that had closed after suffering under Mang-ryo and being betrayed by Gwak-o had begun to open slightly because of Yong-myeong and the Medicine King Sect people.

That’s why he couldn’t abandon Yong-myeong like this.

Even though he knew fleeing alone would be the best option.

“Hoo.”

Jin Ja-gang exhaled deeply.

His deliberation didn’t last long. There wasn’t enough time for extended consideration. As soon as Jin Ja-gang made his decision, he pulled out the dagger embedded in his abdomen.

Blood flowed, but he gritted his teeth and endured it. Jin Ja-gang had experienced too many terrible things to make a fuss over something like this.

After roughly wrapping cloth around his abdomen, Jin Ja-gang dismounted.

Yong-myeong, whose limbs were stiffening, tried to shake his head when he saw Jin Ja-gang’s actions.

“N-no. You… you should g-go…”

But Yong-myeong stopped mid-sentence, startled by Jin Ja-gang’s eyes.

Jin Ja-gang’s eyes were very calm and composed. They weren’t the eyes of the child who had been wailing and pouring out emotions earlier. Nor were they the eyes of a child who had been agonizing over a decision just moments ago.

In that brief interval, Jin Ja-gang had already collected himself enough to remain unwavering.

Yong-myeong realized he could no longer dissuade Jin Ja-gang. He was determined to stay, even if told to leave.

Jin Ja-gang knelt beside Yong-myeong and examined his condition.

Touching his limbs, they were stiff, and his speech was slurred because his tongue was hardening.

These were symptoms Jin Ja-gang had experienced himself. He knew well what kind of poison caused such symptoms.

“It’s pufferfish poison. But I don’t know how to detoxify it. If you know a method, please tell me what I can do.”

Jin Ja-gang had been experimented on with hundreds of poisons while still alive. Mang-ryo had even explained the symptoms of each poison every time…

“You… go…”

Yong-myeong wanted to ask how Jin Ja-gang knew this, but he felt his tongue stiffening further. If Jin Ja-gang wouldn’t give up anyway, he needed to conserve his words.

“Aco…”

Yong-myeong struggled to speak.

Jin Ja-gang somehow understood what he meant.

“Aconite. You mean monkshood?”

Yong-myeong blinked his eyes to confirm.

Monkshood is a plant with deadly poison. However, it counteracts puffer fish poison, so when the two meet, they neutralize each other.

With luck, there was a chance of survival.

It was very dangerous, but at present, it was the only way to alleviate the symptoms and delay the progression of the poison.

Jin Ja-gang rose without delay.

He looked around. There were too many traces left on the ground—horse hoofprints and marks where someone had fallen.

If pursuers came, they would undoubtedly begin their search here. At present, it was difficult for Jin Ja-gang to move Yong-myeong very far, so they would be discovered quickly.

‘Monkshood…’

Monkshood typically grows near streams or in damp, shaded areas in high mountains. If they were lucky, he might find it quickly, but if not, he might have to wander for a long time.

If pursuers arrived in the meantime, both Yong-myeong and Jin Ja-gang would be dead.

Since they could no longer escape on horseback, Jin Ja-gang had only one option. Find monkshood, and once Yong-myeong recovered somewhat, escape on foot through the mountains.

That would require time.

‘I need to buy time.’

Jin Ja-gang thought.

‘How far have we come?’

Since the horse had been carrying two people, it couldn’t run very fast. Considering their alternating between running and walking, they had probably traveled about a hundred li.

He looked at the sky. They had departed in the early dawn, and now the sun was high in the sky.

‘About half a day has passed.’

They had traveled about a hundred li in two shichen.

Even if a pursuit team had been rapidly assembled and dispatched from the Extreme Poison Sect, it would have taken at least one shichen.

If the pursuers had been following for one shichen using lightness skills, they would have covered about fifty li.

That meant they had a buffer of half a shichen in time and fifty li in distance.

‘To find monkshood and wait for the mister to recover, we need at least a day’s time.’

The time remaining was at best just over half a shichen.

Jin Ja-gang drew poisonous energy from his dantian. His fingertips swelled immediately.

This was the only thing he could rely on… Jin Ja-gang gritted his teeth.