Chapter 18

'Causality' was an extremely complex element in using magic.

Whether the intended phenomenon was natural, whether the user clearly recognized the cause of the magical phenomenon, whether the amount of magic power consumed was appropriate to cause that phenomenon…

Among these, the ability to recognize the cause of phenomena was an important factor affecting both magic success rate and power consumption, making a huge difference whether one knew it or not.

The problem was that understanding the principles of 'decay' was almost impossible just by looking from the outside.

Even Turan only recognized the existence of microorganisms after learning magic from the librarian to magnify and observe.

Moreover, there was another unintended trap – using decay on living animals was incomparably harder than using it on fruits.

'That was dangerous.'

Turan realized over a third of his magic power had been consumed as he put down the rotting live mouse.

What was the difference between a living mouse and an apple?

Lack of continuous life force supply? Animal versus plant?

It was hard to guess the exact reason since he hadn't used this magic often.

Maybe he could understand more precisely by trying the magic on dead animal corpses later…

Anyway, for now he had to act as if he had succeeded effortlessly without showing this.

"Good, now it's my turn."

Saying this, Meisa made a light gesture and a gentle breeze began blowing over the garden.

Shortly after, unfortunately, a mouse wandering around the garden's edge came flying helplessly into her hand.

[Crackle!]

She tried the same magic as Turan, but the mouse only twisted its body trying to escape without any other reaction.

"Hmm…"

Meisa held a mouse in each hand and rolled her protruding eyes back and forth looking at them alternately.

As if trying to find what difference there was between the two.

Seeing this grotesque sight, Asiz, now freed from the vines, spoke with a disgusted expression.

"Why use such magic of all things? It's really creepy."

"It was just the first thing that came to mind."

Actually, the reason he chose this magic was because it had little practical use.

There would rarely be time to grab an opponent and wait several seconds during fights between magicians.

He also wanted to gauge how much knowledge of natural laws the Arabion family possessed.

'I doubted it, but even a great family like Arabion… doesn't know well?'

When learning ancient knowledge from the librarian, Turan had suspected that old magician families would monopolize such knowledge.

Since magicians who knew this would have absolute advantage over those who didn't.

But contrary to expectations, Meisa didn't seem to know these things very well.

Was it because she was young and shallow in learning? Or perhaps…

"Looks like it's not working, Meisa. How about calling it Turan's win?"

While Turan was lost in thought, Asiz spoke in a teasing tone toward Meisa who was frowning while holding the mouse.

At those words, sharpness entered her eyes which always had depression and languor underlying them.

"I can do it too."

Taking a light breath, Meisa's eyes glared at the mouse as if to pierce it.

One way to fill insufficient causality in using magic was inputting massive magic power to make up for inefficiency with quantity.

In extreme cases, powerful magicians like great family heads could even instantly kill ordinary knights with a word, as if killing animals.

Though they would nearly collapse from exhaustion in exchange for killing one person.

"Just a little more…"

Meisa kept praying while holding the mouse.

Rot, rot, rot while alive-

An inefficient magic attempt without familiarity or proper understanding of principles.

How much power did she invest, not caring that magic power was being rapidly drained from her body?

Finally, the healthy mouse began to rot.

Though slower than what Turan had done earlier, it was clearly the same phenomenon.

"Oh, you did it?"

Next to Asiz's exclamation, Turan also widened his eyes in surprise.

Could she have realized that the secret of decay magic was 'growth and enhancement of microorganisms that rot living things'?

"…I did it."

At that moment, Meisa collapsed with those words.

While the escaped mouse ran away screaming, Turan and Asiz quickly supported her as she fell.

"Meisa! What's wrong!? Open your eyes!"

While Asiz shouted urgently, Turan analyzed her face and body condition.

'What's the reason? Too much magic power used? But magic depletion shouldn't cause collapse.'

Turan had depleted his magic power several times practicing magic in childhood but never fainted from it.

He just suffered from exhaustion since he didn't even have power to enhance his body…

Along with that thought, seeing Meisa's skeletal body brought something to mind.

'That's it.'

"Is there no healer bloodline magician here?"

"No!"

"Then have water and salt brought to this lady's room. And bring the adults too."

After giving instructions, Turan immediately lifted Meisa.

A body weight equivalent to only three or four newborn lambs…

Certainly, such a body couldn't function properly without magic power's help.

Her body, forcibly maintained through magic enhancement, had clearly broken down when magic power was depleted.

* * *

"Ugh…"

"Meisa, are you alright? Are you conscious?"

Meisa Arabion painfully opened her eyes at the woman's voice calling her.

The Berk family head Midela, her second cousin aunt, was looking down with a worried face.

"Why am I…?"

"Asiz said you suddenly collapsed while practicing magic with a guest. Is that right?"

Only then did she recall the memory she had momentarily forgotten.

The magic competition with that slick-looking man who her cousin brother promoted as both lifesaver and magic genius, how she had invested excessive magic power to copy what she couldn't do when her pride was hurt by him showing off what she couldn't accomplish…

"That's right. Where are they?"

"For now we're having them stay and keeping watch at the temple. We don't know if that person might have done something strange to you."

"No, that's not it. I did something foolish."

Meisa painfully shook her head and raised herself from the bed.

As changed clothes slipped down revealing her bony forearm, seeing this, Midela carefully spoke.

"I had some soup made. I know you don't eat because of magic, but shouldn't you think about your health? I hope you won't take offense."

"Thank you, Aunt. Would it be alright if I rest a bit more?"

"Yes, rest more."

After confirming Midela had left the room, Meisa stared blankly at the soup placed beside the bed then levitated it before her with a light gesture.

Her stomach violently churned at the rich aroma of flour, butter and milk mixed together.

As if crying out for nutrients to be supplied to this body.

Meisa picked up the spoon and carefully put a spoonful of soup in her mouth.

Her tongue and stomach rejoicing at receiving something other than water and salt for the first time in long, and then-

Four pairs of eyes staring at her and shedding bloody tears.

[Please save us, Meisa. You can do it, can't you…]

[It hurts so much, sister.]

"Ugh-"

Feeling the sour stench of vomit wetting her mouth and body, Meisa laughed like sobbing.

* * *

In the basement of the Berk family mansion was a temple enshrining the Lame Goddess.

This temple served two main functions.

A space for family members to pray to the god, and a room for temporarily confining those awkward to put in prison or of high status.

This was because the temple had only one entrance, and both door and walls were too solid to dare break through.

"So don't have any foolish thoughts."

"Yes, I understand."

After taking Meisa to her room and explaining the situation, Turan was confined to this temple by Midela who politely asked for understanding.

Though Asiz testified for him, there was a possibility Turan had done something to harm Meisa.

Since the truth would be revealed once she woke up anyway, Turan decided to quietly stay in the temple instead of making a fuss.

As for not confining Asiz who was also present during the incident, well, that was unavoidable since he was family.

Sitting against the wall, he looked at the guard standing opposite.

A sturdy man with a large sword at his waist.

His name was Haram Berk, a guardian bloodline noble who had joined the Berk family through marriage.

While sitting quietly with closed eyes reviewing the magic Meisa had shown to kill time, he heard the sharp sound of wind being cut.

Opening his eyes, he saw Haram enthusiastically swinging his sword through the air.

"What are you doing?"

"Training."

Haram answered briefly then resumed swinging his sword.

Downward slash, thrust, spinning cut then raising the sword overhead for consecutive left and right slashes…

If a commoner or knight did this with a blade it would just look silly, but when a noble born with superior physical abilities through bloodline power wielded such techniques, the pressure was on a different level.

It looked as if shadows of blades were wrapping around his body.

Though he wondered if it was alright to brandish swords before the goddess statue, since the movements looked as elegant as dance, Turan sat quietly observing.

"Oh…"

An unconscious exclamation of admiration.

Hearing this, Haram suddenly stopped sword practice and stared at him.

"Ah, I'm sorry. Was I disturbing you?"

"No."

Despite saying that, instead of resuming sword training, Haram just kept staring intently at Turan.

After a moment of silence, he spoke up with an unexpected question.

"Are you interested in swordsmanship?"

"What?"

What was this sudden random question?

Turan felt confused for a moment but answered honestly.

"Interest… I'm not sure, but I did think it looked impressive."

"I see."

After answering curtly, Haram drew his sword again, performed a few more movements, then spoke.

"Most nobles look down on martial arts or weapon skills. Since it's easier and stronger to attack directly with magic. They think only knights learn such things."

"Well, it is somewhat inefficient unless you have a bloodline specialized for close combat."

Nobles were divided into those good at applying power to their own bodies according to bloodline and those good at projecting it outward, with most being the latter, making nobles skilled in close combat rare.

Even Turan's bloodline, if defining the ratio between ranged and close-range abilities, was about 7:3, relatively more adept at projecting magic at range.

"But in actual combat, situations arise where you have to face it even if you want to avoid it."

Turan spoke recalling when he had kicked the leopard monster on the hill and when he had slashed the rabbit monster's throat.

But hearing this, Haram tilted his head then suddenly held out his sword reversed to him.

"Would you like to try?"

"I'm here because I'm suspicious, is it alright to give me a weapon?"

"You're not a warrior so it doesn't matter."

Turan understood the meaning only after turning those words over several times.

It meant it didn't matter whether he was given a sword or not since he would obviously be terrible at using it.

Looking at that dazzling swordplay earlier, it was hard to see it as arrogance.

If they both held swords and fought without magic, clearly even ten Turans wouldn't be a match.

"Well…"

Turan awkwardly gripped the sword with both hands and took stance and movements as Haram instructed.

Unlike magic that worked as desired right away, even he could feel his movements were quite clumsy.

"That's not it, extend your front leg more-"

"Your elbow is too high. You'll cut your thigh with the sword that way."

"Raise your arms more."

Haram, who seemed taciturn at first, became surprisingly talkative once he started teaching swordsmanship.

After learning basic swordsmanship for about thirty minutes, Turan massaged his stiff wrists as he returned the sword.

"Here you go. I'd like to do more but it's tough…"

"This sword is matched to my bloodline. It's heavy for ordinary nobles."

No wonder – with a normal iron sword he wouldn't tire even swinging it for three hours, let alone thirty minutes.

Could this swordsman have been trying to drain his stamina under the pretext of sword training to prevent escape?

While internally suspicious, Haram spoke as if advising toward Turan who was rubbing his forearms.

"It would be good to make time to train your body if possible. Though magic power guarantees some physical ability even without exercise, there's still a big difference between properly building strength or not."

Indeed, if a situation came where he had to resort to close combat in a truly urgent moment, it seemed learning such skills to some degree would help.

Though he would be no match fighting someone with a bloodline specialized for close combat like Haram before him, it could be another weapon when fighting someone with similar level of power.

While learning exercises to loosen overworked muscles lastly, the temple door opened and Family Head Midela entered.

She first bowed her head politely and apologized.

"I apologize for the rudeness, Turan. We've done wrong by our benefactor."

"I see the lady is safe. I should apologize too. My conduct was inappropriate as a guest."

Turan received Midela's apology with a gentle attitude.

It was a reasonably appropriate measure given the situation where their serving family's heir suddenly collapsed.

Hearing their conversation, Haram nodded and spoke.

"Good that nothing happened."

"Thank you for your work, Haram."

"Must follow the family head's orders. Then I'll take my leave."

Haram gave a quick bow to the family head then immediately left the temple.

"I hope Haram wasn't rude. He's quite brusque by nature. There would have been no ill intent."

"Rather, I received teaching."

At Turan's answer, Midela nodded with a faint smile, then brought up unexpected words.

"That's good then. By the way… Meisa said she wanted to apologize to you, would you be able to spare some time?”

Chapter 18: Into the World Beyond (3)

From dawn, the Yoon Family Estate was abuzz. The elite forces of the Wudang, Mount Hua, and Zhongnan Sects were preparing to depart.

It was a convoy of well over a hundred people. There were many things to prepare. Fortunately, the head of the Yoon Estate had made meticulous arrangements for them, and the three sects' disciples were able to set out without difficulty.

Thanks to the drinking gathering the night before, the relationship between Mu-gyeong and Geum Han-su did not appear overtly hostile. But that was merely surface appearances—in truth, they were quietly sizing each other up.

The atmosphere among the Wudang disciples was no different. They too maintained a slight distance from the Mount Hua and Zhongnan martial artists, still somewhat awkward.

Sage Cheong-heo and Sage Hyeon-so believed time would take care of it. At first, the relationships between sects might feel strained, but as time passed, they would gradually draw closer.

In fact, as a little time elapsed, laughter began to flow among them.

They were, after all, martial artists of the same era. That meant that as they moved through the martial world, sooner or later they would inevitably cross paths.

Regardless of the relationships between their sects, there was nothing wrong with forging personal bonds.

Once Mu-gyeong, Geum Han-su, and Yeon So-ha had begun to mingle, those who had followed their lead also introduced themselves and grew acquainted.

Watching this from a distance, Dam Ho was approached by Sage Hyeon-so.

"What are you doing here?"

"Master."

"Why are you not joining them…"

Sage Hyeon-so trailed off.

He realized it was not that Dam Ho did not wish to join them—they simply would not have him.

"Hah."

Sage Hyeon-so let out a soft sigh.

Dam Ho, who could not even receive proper respect within the Mount Hua Sect. If he was not valued at home, how could outsiders possibly value him?

They too had eyes and ears. They could read the currents of the situation.

In their eyes, Dam Ho was a useless figure. If not for serving his Master, Sage Hyeon-so, he would never have been here at all.

"My ambition was too great. To drag you here and have you endure such humiliation…"

"It is not—"

"So… you went to that place?"

"Yes."

Sage Hyeon-so's face darkened. He asked carefully:

"Are you all right?"

"I am fine."

"Ho-ya."

"It is true. Thanks to you, my heart is much easier. Thank you, Master."

"Hah."

Sage Hyeon-so released a soft sigh.

His disciple was truly strong. If Sage Hyeon-so himself had endured what Dam Ho had, he would not have kept his wits about him until now.

To lose parents, siblings, and everything else, yet remain as unshaken as ever—that determination and tenacity were at times frightening. But Dam Ho was his disciple.

Sage Hyeon-so patted Dam Ho's shoulder.

"If you are fine, that is enough. It is time to depart. Mount up."

"Yes!"

The moment their conversation ended, horses brought forth from the Yoon Estate arrived in numbers matching the company.

Sage Cheong-heo mounted his horse and spoke:

"Then let us be off. From here to the Jade Gate Pass, we ride at full speed."

The martial artists mounted as one.

Among them were some riding for the first time, but as martial artists, they adapted quickly.

Dam Ho and Sage Hyeon-so mounted as well.

Led by Sage Cheong-heo, the company departed the Yoon Estate, raising a cloud of dust as they spurred their horses forward.

Clip-clop!

Over a hundred horses galloping across the earth—it was a magnificent sight.

The Wudang's arrangements were truly meticulous.

When they came to a river, boats were already prepared. When the horses began to tire, fresh mounts were waiting. It was as if there was no corner of the world beyond their influence.

Even as they entered Gansu Province, it was the same.

Gansu was the territory of the Kongtong Sect. Yet somehow, through whatever arrangements had been made, the Kongtong Sect had ensured safe passage through the province.

Thanks to this, they had only to ride.

They passed through Lanzhou, the provincial capital of Gansu, in the blink of an eye and headed north.

The closer they drew to the Jade Gate Pass, their first destination, the more desolate the surrounding landscape became.

All that lay before them was reddish-brown earth and distant mountains looming on the horizon. The young martial artists, never having seen such a bleak landscape before, could not help but shrink within themselves.

They stopped at an inn near the Jade Gate Pass.

It was not the brick-and-timber inn common to the Central Plains, but one built of rammed earth. Because of this, it felt less like an inn and more like a small fortress.

The inn's name was the Wind and Dust Inn.

Merchants bound for the Western Regions always stayed at the Wind and Dust Inn to steel themselves before their journey. Once they left the inn, they could not return to the Central Plains for at least six months to a year. And the unlucky ones never returned at all.

The Jade Gate Pass was the gateway connecting the Central Plains to the lands beyond. Many merchants of the Central Plains had passed through it into the Western Regions, and come back through it.

Beyond the Jade Gate Pass, the world changes. The very air changes.

So it was commonly said. And Dam Ho realized it was true.

When they arrived at the Wind and Dust Inn, the smiles vanished from the young martial artists' faces. They too had felt the change in the air, just as Dam Ho had.

They had not yet crossed the Jade Gate Pass, but it was virtually the same. At least, the desolate air they breathed was.

Sage Cheong-heo spoke quietly to Sage Hyeon-so and Yeom Jung-hwa:

"We arranged to meet Escort Lim, who sent the message, near here."

"Is he still alive?"

"Contact was lost shortly after he sent the message, but he must be alive. He will lead us to the place where the battle with the Demonic Cult took place."

"Let us first give the disciples some rest. I will make contact with Escort Lim."

"Very well."

Sage Hyeon-so and Yeom Jung-hwa nodded and ordered the disciples to rest at the inn.

The disciples, already exhausted from the long journey, cheered in unison and rushed inside. Dam Ho followed.

Upon entering the Wind and Dust Inn, Mu-gyeong approached.

"You have worked hard. Is your body all right?"

"It is fine."

Mu-gyeong's gaze briefly flickered over Dam Ho's left leg. At that moment, Un-gyeong called from behind:

"Senior Brother! You are needed over here."

"Understood. I will be right there."

Mu-gyeong looked at Dam Ho.

"As you know, from here on we are beyond the Central Plains. I may not be able to look after you, so you must protect yourself. Do you understand?"

Dam Ho nodded silently. Mu-gyeong looked at him for a long moment, patted his shoulder, and walked toward Un-gyeong.

At that moment.

"Tsk! Not even a village dog, yet you think wagging your head will make everyone come running."

A stranger's voice pierced Dam Ho's ears. Then someone approached his side.

It was a man with an unusually pale complexion. The corners of his eyes turned slightly upward, and his lips were thin as a serpent's. The man, who appeared to be in his early twenties, wore a faint smile.

When Dam Ho stared at him, the man offered a fist-and-palm salute:

"Ah, my greetings are late. I am Yeop Mun-cheon of the Zhongnan Sect."

Dam Ho was not surprised by the introduction. He already knew him.

Yeop Mun-cheon was one of the few people Dam Ho kept a close eye on.

Yeop Mun-cheon was the type who did not stand out in many ways. Not because there was something wrong with his appearance, nor because his personality was introverted.

He was the sort who deliberately concealed himself while observing others.

That was the impression Dam Ho had received from Yeop Mun-cheon. And it was precisely for that reason that he had caught Dam Ho's attention.

When Dam Ho stared at him in silence, Yeop Mun-cheon scratched his head with a somewhat sheepish air. But his eyes remained sharp as blades.

"I heard you were Young Hero Cheong-gyeong… Is that not correct?"

"That is right."

"A pleasure, Young Hero Cheong-gyeong. I came only to exchange pleasantries, so there is no need to be so guarded. Ha ha ha!"

"Pleasantries…"

Believing Dam Ho had let his guard down, Yeop Mun-cheon smiled.

"Indeed. Pleasantries. I heard Young Hero Cheong-gyeong is Sage Hyeon-so's disciple. If so, you are surely a First Generation Disciple, yet the Mount Hua disciples do not seem to treat you as such. Ha ha! Am I mistaken?"

"You are mistaken."

"…"

At Dam Ho's cutting response, Yeop Mun-cheon's expression stiffened briefly. But it was only a moment—his face relaxed, and he continued:

"I see."

"What are you thinking?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you ask because you do not know?"

"…"

A furrow formed between Yeop Mun-cheon's brows.

Dam Ho was a cripple and an outcast within the Mount Hua Sect. Yeop Mun-cheon had taken him lightly and probed, but the response was sharper than he had anticipated.

If it had been merely a sharp retort, he would have brushed it off. But the gaze fixed upon him was piercingly keen, as though it could see straight through to his innermost thoughts.

'This fellow!'

In that instant, his heart churned.

If Dam Ho's eyes had been sharp alone, he would not have reacted this way. Within those eyes was a powerful, overwhelming spirit that pressed upon its target.

'So this is the Mount Hua First Generation Disciple after all?'

Yeop Mun-cheon could not help but revise his assessment of Dam Ho. He forced a laugh:

"Ha ha! It seems there is some misunderstanding. I had no ulterior motives. I simply came to talk."

"…"

"It appears Young Hero Cheong-gyeong is not in the mood for conversation. It seems today is not the right day. I shall see you again some other time. Well then…"

Yeop Mun-cheon offered a salute and turned on his heel.

The face that had moments ago been full of smiles was now filled only with coldness.

'Insolent!'

Yeop Mun-cheon ground his teeth and disappeared.

Dam Ho watched him go, then turned. His Master, Sage Hyeon-so, was approaching.

"Master."

"Is there some trouble?"

"There is no trouble at all."

"Is that so?"

"…"

"If you say there is no trouble, then there is none. Come, let us go to our room."

"Yes!"

Dam Ho followed Sage Hyeon-so into the room.

While the other disciples were assigned four or five to a room, he would stay with Sage Hyeon-so. It was a courtesy extended because Sage Hyeon-so was an Elder of the Mount Hua Sect.

Their room was not large, but it was quite tidy. It seemed more than adequate for a night's stay.

Sage Hyeon-so asked:

"So, did you make many friends on the way here?"

"I am sorry."

"As I thought."

Sage Hyeon-so gave a rueful smile.

On the journey here, Sage Hyeon-so had deliberately left Dam Ho to his own devices. He had hoped Dam Ho would mingle with the others. That was one of the reasons he had insisted on bringing Dam Ho along.

But no one had voluntarily approached Dam Ho. Not even though he was the disciple of Sage Hyeon-so, an Elder of the Mount Hua Sect.

At present, only Sage Hyeon-so knew of Dam Ho's achievements and potential. No one else in the Mount Hua Sect held any expectations for him.

One need only observe the behavior of the Mount Hua disciples on the journey to see it.

They treated Dam Ho as though he did not exist. Only the Senior Brother, Mu-gyeong, occasionally paid him any mind; the others did not speak to him at all.

It was as though the entire Mount Hua Sect were ostracizing him. And because the Mount Hua disciples shunned him, the Zhongnan and Wudang martial artists likewise treated him as though he were invisible.

His disciple was not so worthless as to deserve such treatment. No—even the most wretched of men did not deserve such treatment.

Countless thoughts flickered through Sage Hyeon-so's mind before vanishing.

"Hah!"

Yet no easy answer came, and Sage Hyeon-so could only sigh.

"How truly terrifying the world's regard can be. To form prejudices based solely on appearances."

"It is because I am lacking. I am sorry, Master."

"What is there for you to be lacking? To me, you are the finest disciple. I am proud of you."

What did it matter if he limped? What did it matter if his killing intent was fierce?

In all his years, Sage Hyeon-so had never seen anyone with a stronger will and fortitude than Dam Ho.

He could only lament that the world failed to recognize Dam Ho's true worth. But Dam Ho himself did not concern himself with such worldly judgments or glances. He gazed out the window.

The world beyond the world lay spread before his eyes.

In Dam Ho's gaze, Sage Hyeon-so saw the yearning to be free.

Not a dog running on a leash, but a falcon soaring through the open sky.

Now was the time to make his decision. And Sage Hyeon-so steeled his resolve.

"Ho-ya."

"…"

"I am sorry. This Master was too incompetent to secure even a proper place for you at Mount Hua. Because of that, even here you receive no respect."

"I am fine."

"I am not fine. Mount Hua may be tall enough to pierce the heavens, but it is not broad enough to embrace you. This Master is a man who must, like it or not, be buried in Mount Hua's soil. But you are different. If Mount Hua rejects you, there is no reason for you to cling to it."

"Master, what are you saying—"

"When this is over, go out into the world."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean live freely."

"But Mount Hua…"

"There is no need to worry. Mount Hua is Mount Hua, and you are you. When you have grown so strong that even Mount Hua's fierce winds cannot sway you, when you are certain you will not be moved even by a tempest—then come back. We will share a drink together."

"Master!"

Sage Hyeon-so smiled. But a tremor ran through Dam Ho's shoulders.

The time it takes for blood to circulate through the body is approximately the duration of ten breaths.

‘Four breaths!’

That meant the poison had nearly reached his heart.

With such a deadly poison, the moment it spread to his heart, it would be as good as death.

Miao Weng quickly searched his pockets and took out a Clear Heart Pill, placing it under his tongue. Then he rapidly pressed the acupoint near his heart with his finger.

Thump!

His heart stopped instantly. With blood circulation halted, the progression of the poison also stopped.

When the heart stops, a person doesn’t die immediately. He could still move for about half a quarter-hour.

With the Clear Heart Pill in his mouth, in the worst case, his heart might beat once more even after stopping. At that moment, he could revive his heart.

The time gained by all this was just a quarter-hour.

Within that quarter-hour, he needed to extract an antidote from that damned child.

Miao Weng immediately rushed toward Jin Ja-gang.

“Give me the antidote!”

But Jin Ja-gang had no such thing as an antidote.

Jin Ja-gang rolled away from Miao Weng, who was charging at him with foam at his mouth. Miao Weng’s hand struck the ground where Jin Ja-gang had been lying.

Thwack.

A cloud of dirt rose high into the air.

Miao Weng staggered from the impact.

“Urgh.”

Jin Ja-gang desperately got to his feet and ran. Miao Weng summoned his internal energy and pursued.

Thick, crisscrossing trees blocked Jin Ja-gang’s path. He slid under them by lowering his body.

Above, Miao Weng’s crimson Bloody Hand technique shattered the trees, tearing them apart like threads.

“You slippery eel!”

Miao Weng burst with anger as he raised his hand again.

With his blood not flowing, one hand too swollen to use, and his body somewhat poisoned, his movements had become sluggish.

Growing desperate, Miao Weng lost all focus. His time was running out, and Jin Ja-gang was escaping.

Miao Weng pursued Jin Ja-gang like a madman.

Jin Ja-gang also ran frantically. Limping on one leg, he couldn’t outpace his pursuer.

As he fled, Jin Ja-gang scanned his surroundings.

‘I need something!’

He regretted not anticipating this situation. At the very least, he should have planned an escape route.

‘Think, Jin Ja-gang. Think. Or die!’

He could hear Miao Weng’s harsh breathing right behind him. It felt as if hot breath was touching the nape of his neck.

Jin Ja-gang frantically rubbed his body to peel off scabs. He rolled these scabs into a ball and threw them forcefully to the side.

He had almost told Miao Weng it was the antidote, but his silence actually confused Miao Weng more.

Why else would someone running for his life suddenly throw a black pill-like object to the side?

Miao Weng’s eyes lit up. It seemed like the boy would rather die than give him the antidote.

“You vicious mongrel spawn!”

Miao Weng cursed as he chased after the pill that had fallen into the bushes.

The killing intent that had been closing in on Jin Ja-gang’s nape suddenly diverted to the side.

Jin Ja-gang saw Miao Weng leaping to catch the scrap of scabs he had thrown.

The crisis was momentarily averted, but the problem wasn’t solved. As Jin Ja-gang looked around, he spotted slender stems with yellow flowers blooming abundantly.

‘Buttercups!’

Buttercups are ranunculus plants.

The sap of buttercups causes blisters on the skin and inflammation in the eyes. Jin Ja-gang had known they were used medicinally but hadn’t known about their toxicity until Mang-ryo had mentioned it.

Small amounts of sap would cause only temporary poisoning, but in the current situation, even that could buy precious time.

Jin Ja-gang tore off as many buttercups as he could and stuffed them into his mouth, chewing them. Meanwhile, Miao Weng realized he’d been tricked and leaped toward Jin Ja-gang with great fury.

Kicking off tree trunks, he soared above Jin Ja-gang in an instant.

“I’ll kill you!”

Jin Ja-gang stood straight, looking directly at Miao Weng as he descended from the air. One of Miao Weng’s arms was so swollen he couldn’t lift it, while the other was raised high.

His hand was so red it appeared almost black. This was because his internal energy was concentrated to the extreme.

If that red hand struck down, Jin Ja-gang’s head would be crushed like a watermelon. However, Miao Weng didn’t do this. He still hadn’t obtained an antidote.

Though he wanted nothing more than to kill Jin Ja-gang immediately, he couldn’t take the chance.

Boom!

Unable to crush Jin Ja-gang’s head, Miao Weng jumped to the side and grabbed Jin Ja-gang’s shoulder.

For some reason, acupressure didn’t work on him, so Miao Weng planned to twist his limbs and search for the antidote.

But at that moment, Miao Weng’s vision went black. His consciousness grew distant, and his body stiffened. Blood vessels bulged on his neck and face as if someone were strangling him.

Without blood circulation, his breath was on the verge of stopping.

“Grrk.”

Miao Weng used his tongue to push out the Clear Heart Pill from under his tongue and chewed it. His stiffened body loosened, buying him a little more time.

‘If I don’t get the antidote quickly…!’

When his vision returned, Miao Weng saw Jin Ja-gang’s swollen cheeks before him. Jin Ja-gang spat the chewed buttercup fragments and saliva directly into Miao Weng’s face.

“Pfft!”

Caught off guard, Miao Weng got buttercup sap in his eyes.

His eyes stung so badly he could barely open them.

Concentrating his internal energy on his eyes, he forced them open. Objects appeared shaking and distorted.

He couldn’t find Jin Ja-gang anywhere.

“…You b*st*rd!”

His voice was already so hoarse he could barely speak. At this point, he would have to revive his heart first, even if it meant the poisoning would intensify.

“Wait… you… I’ll… kill you.”

Miao Weng gritted his teeth. He concentrated what little internal energy remained in his fingers. He tried to press the acupoint near his heart to make it beat again.

But the arm he needed to press the acupoint with grew heavy and drooped.

“Ugh!”

Something was clinging to his arm.

It was Jin Ja-gang. He was clinging to Miao Weng’s arm like a cicada.

Though not heavy, it made pressing the acupoint accurately difficult.

“Urgh! Let, let go!”

Normally, he would have shaken Jin Ja-gang off with a sneer. But now the situation was different.

Jin Ja-gang was also desperate. He had just seen Miao Weng stop his own heart… and remembered what Mang-ryo had taught him about poison.

The time it takes for poison to circulate through the body equals the time it takes to breathe ten times. Once the poison reaches the heart, it spreads throughout the body, so you must never let the poison reach the heart.

That’s why poison should be used secretly, without the victim even knowing they’ve been poisoned. Mang-ryo had given this advice, though not intended as such.

Of course, Mang-ryo had tested his theory on Jin Ja-gang’s body. The poison failed to circulate properly with his blood, ultimately failing.

Knowing this, Jin Ja-gang had to desperately prevent Miao Weng from reviving his heart.

Miao Weng’s body continued to stiffen. He had only enough strength left for one final attempt to revive his heart.

And Jin Ja-gang was interfering with that!

“You… you…”

Miao Weng’s consciousness continued to fade. Whatever had gotten into his eyes had made his vision completely blurry.

Now Miao Weng began to plead.

“Ple… ease…”

Perhaps because of his desperate plea? The strength of Jin Ja-gang gripping his arm seemed to weaken.

Miao Weng’s mind suddenly cleared, and he gritted his teeth.

‘Once my heart beats again. I’ll pluck this brat’s fingers and toes one by one until he can neither live nor die…’

Suddenly, something gritty filled his mouth.

‘Huh…?’

Tasteless and rough—it was dirt.

‘Why?’

Miao Weng hadn’t realized that he had collapsed face-down on the ground. He also didn’t know that Jin Ja-gang had let go of his arm long ago.

It wasn’t that he was free because Jin Ja-gang had released him; he had already lost all sensation.

‘Why…’

The light of life slowly faded from Miao Weng’s eyes.

Jin Ja-gang checked to make sure Miao Weng’s breath had completely stopped.

His legs were trembling.

But he forced himself to move and hide. From his hiding place, he also watched the guard post. Either because of the distance or because the commotion hadn’t been detected yet, there was no unusual movement.

The surrounding area was completely disheveled, and anyone who came nearby would immediately notice something was wrong.

Jin Ja-gang quickly covered Miao Weng’s corpse with branches and fallen leaves. Even if it were discovered, at least it wouldn’t be immediate.

Then he quickly left the area.

“Huff, huff.”

More than guilt about killing someone, he felt self-reproach for falling into a trap and anxiety about what lay ahead.

Jin Ja-gang pushed through the forest for quite some time until he found a stream and washed his face.

Perhaps because it was a hot spring area, the water was warm.

His mind cleared. Looking at his reflection in the water, he saw his face was grotesque with scabs he hadn’t removed, while the parts where scabs had peeled off were unnaturally white.

Jin Ja-gang gathered soil from around him and rubbed it on his face. He also smeared dirt all over his head to make himself look dirty. It seemed pointless to wash his face only to dirty it again, but he needed to disguise himself.

Survival was more important to Jin Ja-gang.

Who could have set this trap for him? Jin Ja-gang wondered.

The answer came quickly.

‘Mang-ryo!’

It was terrifying to think that Mang-ryo was still hunting him.

He wanted revenge against Mang-ryo.

But that was something he couldn’t do. Even now, he had only killed his opponent and survived through sheer luck.

Jin Ja-gang stood up and looked around. Unconsciously, he had returned to a familiar path. Just a little further uphill was the Mixed Spring Ground.

‘Should I hold out a bit longer?’

But he couldn’t stay there forever. Once they discovered he was alive, they might search everywhere until they found him.

‘No. I need to move now.’

If he was going to do something, it had to be now. Once the corpse was discovered, it would become even more difficult to do anything.

Jin Ja-gang had no choice but to make a decision.

‘I have to enter the Extreme Poison Sect.’

He had to pass through the Extreme Poison Sect to escape down the mountain anyway.

And he still had unfinished business there.

Not just revenge against Mang-ryo, but also against the traitor who betrayed Hundred Flower Valley…

‘I need to think of a way to get in.’

He remembered how the Extreme Poison Sect warriors had paid no attention to the carts when he was brought up on Gwak-o’s cart.

Jin Ja-gang thought for a moment, then started walking in the direction of the Mixed Spring Ground.

His mind was working faster than ever before.

***

Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

https://discord.gg/XC9DTsTQ9Z

***

At the cliff above the Mixed Spring Ground where waste was dumped.

Jin Ja-gang hid in the bushes and waited.

Having hurried, it was still afternoon, not yet evening.

‘Then…’

Looking at the nearby bushes, he saw the buttercups that had saved him earlier. Jin Ja-gang picked and chewed them.

Crunch, crunch.

While chewing the buttercups, Jin Ja-gang roughly calculated the time by looking at the sun.

If his thinking was correct, carts dumping waste would come. He planned to use one of those carts to enter the Extreme Poison Sect.

Not long after, he saw a young man in tattered clothes coming up, pulling a cart full of waste.

From the cliff below, Jin Ja-gang had heard the sound of carts moving about four times. The last cart had come just before sunset. To avoid encountering other carts, he would need to wait until then.

In the meantime, two more carts carrying waste came and went.

Among them was Gwak-o.

The moment Jin Ja-gang saw Gwak-o, a great killing intent surged within him.

But he was somewhat taken aback by Gwak-o’s face. When Jin Ja-gang had last seen him, Gwak-o’s face had been intact, but now one side was severely disfigured by a burn.

It seemed he couldn’t even see out of the eye on the burned side. If only the eye was affected, that would have been fortunate, but he was also constantly muttering something, making him appear deranged.

How had this happened? In just a month.

Jin Ja-gang didn’t feel sorry for Gwak-o. Having heard his mutterings, he felt some pity but no sympathy.

Gwak-o was a traitor. He had led many people of Hundred Flower Valley to their deaths. And he had betrayed Jin Ja-gang’s trust until the very end.

That was the only truth that remained now.

‘Wait?’

Originally, Jin Ja-gang had planned to take over a cart from someone of similar build and pretend to be a cart puller.

But the moment he saw Gwak-o, his thoughts changed.

‘I have a debt to repay anyway.’

Jin Ja-gang stealthily approached Gwak-o from behind.