Chapter 165: Is This Paradise?
Chapter 165: Is This Paradise?
Jin Ha-ryeong’s blade danced through a rapid succession of variations.
Unable to withstand the dazzling complexity of her swordplay, her opponent finally lowered his weapon.
“I concede.”
As she withdrew the cold steel from his throat, Jin Ha-ryeong raised her hand high toward the stands. A thunderous cheer erupted from the spectators.
“Jin Ha-ryeong is the best!”
“You’re amazing, Jin Ha-ryeong!”
“The winner of the tournament will be Jin Ha-ryeong!”
“The Beauty of Hubei, Jin Ha-ryeong!”
However, the specific voice she had been waiting for was missing from the chorus today. She scanned the crowd of martial artists, but Geom Yeon was nowhere to be seen.
Is he badly hurt?
She had heard that the Young Master whom Geom Yeon served had been injured during the quarterfinals. She knew that was likely why he couldn't attend, yet a twinge of disappointment still pricked at her heart. She had hoped he might stop by, even briefly, to witness her match.
But he couldn't possibly leave while his Young Master is unwell.
Feeling a lingering sense of regret, she stepped down from the sparring arena, only to find an unexpected figure waiting for her.
“Congratulations on your victory.”
It was Jo Sin. Normally, she would have greeted him with a stiff, icy expression, but today, for some reason, her touch was softer.
“Thank you.”
“Once you win the tournament, Miss Jin, I shall host a private celebration in your honor.”
“I appreciate the sentiment. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must prepare for my next match.”
Jin Ha-ryeong gave a polite fist salute and departed. Jo Sin stood there, blinking. He felt she was treating him with far more kindness than usual.
Was that fellow right?
The man had claimed to be an expert on the female heart; after just one congratulatory remark, her attitude had shifted.
That brat is more useful than he looks.
But Jo Sin was mistaken.
The only reason Jin Ha-ryeong acted so comfortably was that during a walk with her grandfather yesterday, she had received confirmation that there would be no arranged marriage. Since the threat was gone, there was no longer any need to be on edge or treat Jo Sin like a looming shadow. Once the Young Dragon Tournament ended, she wouldn't have to see his face again. She planned to join an elite organization within the Murim Alliance and begin her new life.
My friend, I hope your Young Master recovers quickly.
Only then would she be able to hear that welcome voice amidst the cheering crowds again.
*
At that same hour, Geom Mu-geuk was heading elsewhere with his subordinate.
“Aaaah! You’re too fast!”
Geom Mu-geuk blurred across the landscape, his lightness skill carrying him at a breakneck pace with Seo Dae-ryong strapped to his back. Piggybacked and helpless, Seo Dae-ryong could do nothing but scream.
It was fast—absurdly fast. It was shocking that a human could move at such speeds, even with the most advanced lightness skills. And he was doing it while carrying the weight of another man.
Seo Dae-ryong couldn't even keep his eyes open. Even when he managed a fleeting peek, the world was a dizzying smear of colors. How could Mu-geuk even navigate at this speed? The terror that they might slam into a tree or a jagged rock made him feel like he was on the verge of fainting.
What was even more surprising was how stable he felt. Though he was mentally terrified, his injured body was enveloped by Geom Mu-geuk’s steady energy, shielding him from the jarring wind and momentum.
Is this even possible? To run this fast while protecting me at the same time?
He would never have believed it if he hadn't experienced it firsthand. Seo Dae-ryong had been surprised by Geom Mu-geuk many times, but he was amazed that there were still depths to the man he hadn't fathomed. Furthermore, Mu-geuk didn't even stop to catch his breath. Just how much internal energy did he possess?
Maybe this is a dream. Did I pass out in the arena? Gasp! Am I dead?
Lost in a spiral of delusions while clinging to Mu-geuk’s back, they finally reached their destination: a rural village far removed from the Murim Alliance.
“Aaaah! Is this paradise?”
Sliding off Mu-geuk's back, Seo Dae-ryong staggered before collapsing onto the grass. He truly thought the dizziness would be the death of him. He took a deep, shaky breath.
“Ah... I feel like I can live again. This is definitely paradise. Humans are meant to live with their feet on the ground.”
Seo Dae-ryong smoothed back his disheveled hair and looked around. He was inwardly tense. He had set out prepared for hellish training, but Geom Mu-geuk had promised him paradise and brought him to this backwater village.
“Let’s rest over there for a bit.”
There was a wooden bench at the entrance of the village where a child lay reading a book.
Seo Dae-ryong felt something was off. They had rushed here with such desperate urgency, only to lounge on a bench? And at a village entrance where a child was reading?
Then, something even stranger happened. Geom Mu-geuk spoke to the child on the bench.
“Child, go and bring out a bottle of liquor brewed from insects.”
At Mu-geuk’s words, the child, who had been lying face down, sat up and yawned. “Who referred you?”
From this exchange, Seo Dae-ryong realized that Mu-geuk’s previous words had been a code phrase.
“I come from the Divine Cult.”
Seo Dae-ryong jumped. He was startled that Geom Mu-geuk would openly reveal his affiliation with the Demonic Cult. Since they had started this journey, Mu-geuk had been incredibly discreet.
The child, on the other hand, didn't seem to know what the Divine Cult was and wasn't surprised at all.
“Tell them I’ve come for personal reasons, not official business, so they can handle it as usual.”
“Okay. Wait here.”
The child disappeared. Finally, Seo Dae-ryong whispered, “Where are we?”
“The entrance to paradise.”
“It doesn't look like paradise at all.”
“What kind of place did you imagine?”
“Well...”
“You were imagining a room full of beauties, drinking and feasting, weren't you?”
Seo Dae-ryong flinched. “I was not!”
His face flushed red as he tried to deny it. He had likely been imagining an even more scandalous version of paradise.
“Listen, oh sentient being! Most places in the world that look like paradise are actually hell. Hahaha.”
“Enough with the enlightened high priest act and just tell me where we are!”
“You’ll know when you see it.”
A moment later, the child returned. “They said to bring you in. Follow me.”
Geom Mu-geuk and Seo Dae-ryong followed the child. The winding path was protected by a complex formation. If one didn't know the exact location of the 'Gate of Life,' they would wander endlessly until being spat out back where they started.
Once they passed through the formation, a massive manor appeared. A plaque hung upon the gate:
Paradise Vow (極樂願).
It used the character for 'vow' or 'wish' rather than the usual character for 'manor' or 'garden.' It signified a wish to be reborn in paradise.
“It really is paradise?”
“I told you, didn't I?”
Following the child inside, they found an old woman standing in the courtyard. She possessed an extraordinary aura that was apparent at a glance. Her back was so straight that the term 'old woman' hardly seemed to fit, yet she was covered in bandages on her head and arms, as if she had recently survived a brutal battle.
“You say you’re from the Divine Cult?”
“That is correct.”
“Proof?”
Geom Mu-geuk released his Demonic Energy. The momentum was powerful enough to be undeniable.
“Stop! Why are you emitting such unpleasant energy? Ptu! Ptu!”
The old woman produced some salt and sprinkled it over herself. She showed no sign of fearing the Demonic Cult.
“Your realm is quite profound for your age.”
“Thank you.”
“Why bother revealing your identity?”
“Because you would have found out anyway, no matter how much I tried to hide it.”
“So you know enough about me? Then this will be easy. What do you want?”
Geom Mu-geuk looked at Seo Dae-ryong. “Make this friend the winner of the Young Dragon Tournament.”
Seo Dae-ryong looked at Mu-geuk in shock. “Can I really win just by asking?”
“Probably?”
“What?”
The old woman approached Seo Dae-ryong, whose eyes were wide with surprise. She limped as she walked, her leg clearly injured as well. She reached out a hand toward him.
“Hand!”
Since her right arm was injured, she held out her left.
“Ah, I’ve injured my left arm,” Seo Dae-ryong stammered.
“Then should this old woman hold out her aching arm instead?”
“No. I mean, can’t we just skip the handshake?”
But the old woman kept her hand out. The moment Seo Dae-ryong reluctantly took it...
She suddenly yanked his injured arm upward with violent force.
“Aaaaaagh!”
Despite his scream, the old woman swung his arm around wildly in every direction.
“The arm is still attached well enough,” she muttered.
“Aaaaagh! I’m dying! Stop!”
“Stop exaggerating!”
“I thought I was going to die from the pain!”
“You have the face of someone who exaggerates everything.”
Seo Dae-ryong pouted and looked at Geom Mu-geuk. His expression screamed, Who is this crazy old woman? But Mu-geuk only smiled.
“Try swinging your blade once,” she commanded.
“I don’t want to.”
The old woman seemed to glide toward him, grabbed his arm again, and waved it around like a fluttering leaf. Her movements were so fast that Seo Dae-ryong couldn't even track them, let alone block her.
“Still don’t want to? How about now?”
“Aaaaagh! No, I’ll do it! I’ll do it! Save me! I’ll do it!”
Only then did she let go. Wiping away the tears that had streamed down from the agony, Seo Dae-ryong drew his straight blade. After watching his forms for a moment, the old woman shook her head.
“It’ll be hard. At this rate, he can’t beat Jin Ha-ryeong.”
She was well aware of the current state of the Young Dragon Tournament. She knew exactly how skilled the favorite, Jin Ha-ryeong, was, and she had gauged Seo Dae-ryong’s limits just by watching him swing his blade.
“That’s why I’ve come to you,” Mu-geuk said. “Aren't you the one who makes the impossible possible?”
“That depends on how much you pay. How much can you offer?”
Geom Mu-geuk didn't haggle. He held out the 500,000 taels he had brought.
“Five hundred thousand taels.”
Seo Dae-ryong was stunned. “Wait a minute! Were you planning to spend all that money on me?”
“Yes.”
“No! You can’t!”
Seo Dae-ryong had assumed Mu-geuk would use the money for him in some way, but he never imagined he would spend the entire fortune.
“It’s my money. Why are you saying I can’t?”
“Regardless, you can’t! I give up on the path I said I wanted to take. It was all nonsense. I’m happier as I am. Five hundred thousand taels? Are you serious?”
Seo Dae-ryong sent a frantic voice transmission.
— And that old woman is weird! She’s clearly a quack pretending to be mysterious. How is she going to fix anyone when she’s so beat up herself? She should worry about her own body... Gasp! She just ate a bug!
Munching on something, the old woman sat on a rock and massaged her own limbs.
“Investigator Seo,” Mu-geuk said calmly. “Money can be earned at any time, but an opportunity like this will never come again.”
“I don’t want it. Don’t spend such a fortune on me. Even fifty thousand taels would be a waste.”
“It’s a sum worth its value. It’s the cost of a man becoming a true martial artist.”
“A man doesn't need five hundred thousand taels to become a martial artist; he needs will and courage!”
“Don’t feel burdened. You just have to work hard as an investigator in the future. And occasionally, if a situation arises where you can save the Cult from a crisis, do so. That’s all.”
“That is a burden!”
“Life is miserable when you think too much. You just have to live as your heart leads you in the moment. You said you wanted to win, right? And I want to make you win. Our hearts are perfectly aligned, so that’s enough.”
Then, before they knew it, the old woman snatched the bank notes from Geom Mu-geuk’s hand.
“I accept the treatment.”
“No!”
Seo Dae-ryong stepped forward to take the notes back but stopped in his tracks. The old woman had merely glanced at him, but the sheer sharpness of her gaze froze his body where he stood.
“You exaggerator, how many days until your next match?”
“Seven days.”
“Seven days. Time is tight. Let’s start immediately.”
The old woman limped into the building. Once they were alone, Seo Dae-ryong quickly asked, “Who on earth is that person? Please tell her to just treat her own body!”
“How is your arm?”
“How do you think? It hurts more. Wait...” Seo Dae-ryong tried moving his injured arm. It was moving much better than when they first arrived. The old woman hadn't been swinging his arm around randomly; she had been resetting it. “Huh? It hurts less.”
Then, a shocking name came from Geom Mu-geuk’s lips.
“That person is the Chung-ui, the Insect Doctor.”
Seo Dae-ryong was startled. It was a name even he had heard in legends. “Was she a real person?”
“Yes.”
There was a legendary rumor circulating in the Murim. It spoke of a Divine Doctor who commanded insects, using them to cure all sorts of incurable diseases and possessing medical skills so great they could bring the dead back to life.
There were even rumors that her skills surpassed those of the Demonic Cult’s Demon Doctor or the Murim Alliance’s Divine Doctor. While that hadn't been proven, one thing was certain: since Chung-ui herself was a master at the Peak Realm, she understood the body of a martial artist better than any ordinary physician.
“But isn't she the one called the 'Money-Grubber' because she’s so obsessed with gold?”
“No one else can restore you in such a short amount of time.”
“How do you even know this person... Ah, forget it. It’s too expensive.”
“Strictly speaking, not all of that money is going toward you, so you don’t need to feel burdened.”
“Pardon? What do you mean by that?”
Just then, the door to the building opened and Chung-ui shouted, “What are you doing out there? Time is money!”
Geom Mu-geuk and Seo Dae-ryong hurried into the building. As soon as he stepped inside, Seo Dae-ryong’s face twisted in a grimace. The place was filled with jars of insects, and all sorts of bugs were taxidermied on the walls. The smell was so foul he had to cover his nose.
Seo Dae-ryong was forced to drink a medicine with unknown, wriggling ingredients.
“What if this is poison? No, this is definitely poison!” Seo Dae-ryong desperately refused to drink.
“Then you’ll be dying the most luxurious death after paying the highest price in the world. It’ll be a death that goes down in Murim history.”
Chung-ui washed off the Golden Wound Medicine he had applied and smeared on a new ointment. It was undoubtedly a medicine extracted from all sorts of insects. She wrapped new bandages over it in a way that was completely different from the norm. Then, she laid him down on a stone bed that radiated intense heat.
“Get some sleep.”
Whether it was the effect of the medicine or the heat of the bed, Seo Dae-ryong couldn't resist the overwhelming drowsiness.
“Ah, this isn't right... it’s not... Pavilion Master, we’re being scammed...”
And so, Seo Dae-ryong fell into a deep sleep as if possessed.
While the treatment was underway, Geom Mu-geuk looked at the various insects being raised in the backyard. Hundreds of containers were stacked, filled with all kinds of bizarre bugs. Chung-ui came to stand beside Mu-geuk and spoke while looking at the insect in front of her.
“That fellow might not look like much, but it carries a poison that kills within half a quarter-hour of a bite. I’ve developed an immunity, so I’m fine, but it would be dangerous for you.”
Despite saying it was dangerous, Chung-ui opened the box and took the insect out. The poisonous insect flapped its wings rapidly, as if eager to escape. Holding the poisonous bug in front of Geom Mu-geuk’s face, she asked coldly:
“If you came here knowing who I am, you must have had a rough idea of my fees. Why did you pay so generously?”