Chapter 63
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: The Operation Begins (3)
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“Hoo.”
Ma Dongpil’s face looked utterly refreshed.
He was drenched in sweat and his breathing was ragged, but it had been a rewarding training session.
If his past training had been somewhat driven by inertia, his training after leaving the Solitary Bamboo Forest was a continuous stream of ecstasy.
There was no explosive growth, but the changes were palpable, and his body was adapting to those changes with increasing speed. He had found pure enjoyment in the martial arts themselves.
He recalled Seo Ryang’s words.
- Change signifies production. Whether it’s growth or regression, it has meaning in itself.
When you should be trusting in your changing self and forging ahead, why are you agonizing over such things?
- Trust yourself. Instead of worrying, try running without fear. You can save those worries for when you’ve truly hit your limit.
It was incredibly timely advice.
Since then, Ma Dongpil hadn't bothered with such worries. He simply became captivated by the sword he swung again and again, feeling a sense of accomplishment in his body, exhausted to the point of being unable to move.
Diving headfirst into the sea of martial arts, he felt his achievements came even faster.
But Ma Dongpil dismissed even those achievements as nothing special. He was simply enjoying himself, just as he did when he first learned martial arts.
Perhaps because of that, in just a few days, Ma Dongpil’s martial arts were entering a new realm.
“I should be wrapping up soon.”
Finishing his training, Ma Dongpil sat in a cross-legged position. He intended to recover his body by circulating his energy.
Just then, his conversation with Seo Ryang came to mind.
- Now that things have mostly settled down, it's time for everyone to return to their respective organizations. Commander Wi, too, and especially you, Dongpil. You’ve been sticking with me for too long.
- …Pardon?
- Are you just any Protector? You’re not a regular member; you’re the Third Team Leader. You need to get back in the field.
Ma Dongpil nodded.
He was right. He had grown so accustomed to being with the Young Master that he had nearly neglected his primary duties.
‘Get a grip.’
I must fulfill my duty as a Team Leader of the Hall of Protectors. I’m sure I’ll have another chance to see the Young Master.
Just as his energy circulation was nearing its end.
“Team Leader!”
“What is it?”
“The First Team Leader has summoned you.”
“Understood. I’ll be right there.”
Ma Dongpil was puzzled. He had been selected for the mission to guard the Demonic Army Commander in three days, so he thought he wouldn't be called for anything else. What could it be?
A moment later, he entered Lee Gunseong’s office.
“You’re here.”
“Yes, First Team Leader. You called for me?”
“I did.”
Lee Gunseong looked extremely weary. Seeing him buried in work even at this late hour, Ma Dongpil thought that one certainly couldn't be the First Team Leader without being diligent.
“I’m busy, so I’ll be brief. About the Demonic Army Commander’s escort in three days.”
“Yes.”
“It’s been canceled.”
“So suddenly?”
“To be precise, I’ve been assigned to escort the Demonic Army Commander.”
“You, First Team Leader, personally?”
“That’s right. Instead, you have a separate task to handle with your team members.”
“A change in mission, I see. What is it?”
Lee Gunseong handed him a document.
“You know that the Garden of Joy sends its members to transport valuables every three months, right?”
“Yes.”
“This happens to be the month.”
“Don’t tell me we’re to escort the transport team.”
“You are. With the Festival of Papiyas approaching, the area in front of the main cult has gotten quite noisy. It’s unlikely anything will happen, but given the current climate, we can’t just send them alone.”
“Ah…”
“On the other hand, it wouldn’t look good for me to handle the transport escort while sending you to guard the Demonic Army Commander. The higher-ups probably wouldn’t approve.”
“That’s true.”
“So I’d like you to go. Think of it as stretching your legs to commemorate your return. What do you say?”
Ma Dongpil bowed his head.
“Whatever the mission, if you entrust it to me, I will ensure its successful completion.”
Lee Gunseong smiled, as if to say he was dependable.
“I’m counting on you.”
“Ah, but when does it start?”
“In fifteen days. Since the Second Team Leader and I will be gone, I need you to manage the Protectors in the meantime. The Second Team Leader will return two days before your mission starts.”
“I understand.”
“All the important details are written in the document. Memorize it and then burn it.”
“Yes.”
“You may go and rest now.”
Ma Dongpil gave a silent bow and left the office.
Walking back to his quarters, he reviewed the document and let out a soft sigh.
“Stretching my legs… It’s not bad, but.”
Escorting the transport team. This too was an important mission.
Still, he had wanted to take a turn guarding the Demonic Army Commander this time.
‘Can’t be helped. I shouldn't discriminate between missions.’
* * *
*Haa… haa…*
Seo Ryang’s expression was quite serious as he looked at the woman lying as if dead, only her faint breaths indicating she was alive.
“Is this her?”
“Yes.”
A look of pity crossed So Yeonsim’s face as she looked down at the woman.
Though she was known as a political fox, she was still human. It was only natural for her heart to be troubled when someone she had cherished enough to name as her successor was lying ill.
“Her name is Juhwa. Her administrative skills are as outstanding as her martial talent. When she first joined the cult, she was renowned as a genius.”
“Hmm.”
“She’s in charge of a division within the Garden, but she also secretly serves as the General Manager.”
“General Manager?!”
“Yes. I don’t easily entrust work to a successor if they aren’t immediately capable. I didn’t give her the position so she could learn; I gave it to her because there was truly no one as competent as her.”
So Yeonsim let out a sigh.
“The Garden of Joy was nearly paralyzed after she fell into this state. That’s how much she was responsible for, and how exceptionally she handled her work.”
Seo Ryang couldn't help but be inwardly amazed.
‘She’s truly incredible.’
At a glance, she seemed to be the same age as his current body. To be handling the duties of a General Manager for an organization as large as the Garden of Joy at such a young age meant she was no ordinary genius.
On top of that, hadn't she managed to decipher the Unhindered Arts in just a few days and show signs of improvement, even if it was only the strange incantations?
“With talent like this, wouldn’t the Cult Leader himself take an interest in her?”
“I find it strange as well. Why the Cult Leader never took her as his disciple.”
Her words sounded as if even her own vessel was barely enough to contain and teach a person like Juhwa.
Seo Ryang rolled up his sleeves.
“First, let’s check her condition.”
He took Juhwa’s pulse.
He’d heard she had been in a state of Qi Deviation for quite some time. Perhaps that was why her wrist was so thin that he could only feel bone.
‘But the strong pulse I feel is…’
Closing his eyes, Seo Ryang activated the Dark Shadow True Demonic Arts.
A moment later.
*Woooong.*
A red energy flowed from Seo Ryang’s fingertips, enveloping Juhwa’s entire body.
So Yeonsim flinched in surprise.
‘What incredible demonic energy.’
Though it was being operated at a low concentration, the quality of the demonic energy itself was exceptionally high.
It was so potent that it momentarily gave her goosebumps. It would be difficult to find anyone in the inner sanctum with demonic energy of such purity.
‘As expected… there was a reason he overwhelmed the Fourth Young Master.’
Hong Wi-mun’s martial arts were also rumored to be formidable. She personally estimated he was at least a level or two above the Commander of the Berserk Demon Unit or the Commander of the True Demon Unit.
To have effortlessly overwhelmed such a man, Seo Ryang’s skills were undoubtedly worthy of being called a supreme master who had reached the pinnacle.
A strange light flickered in So Yeonsim’s eyes.
‘How is that possible?’
Seo Ryang’s demonic energy, which surpassed all imagination, was so astounding it felt alien. Whether through a fortuitous encounter or something else, it wasn't the kind of power one could obtain at his age.
A moment later.
“Lord So.”
“Please speak, Young Master.”
“Juhwa… no, I’ll just call her General Manager Ju.”
“Yes.”
“What demonic art did General Manager Ju practice?”
“The Lunar Yin Demonic Arts.”
“The one from the Ten Great Demonic Arts?”
“That is correct.”
The Lunar Yin Demonic Arts was one of the most distinguished Yin-attribute arts among the demonic arts. Unlike others, it was a high-level art that was impossible to even begin learning without talent.
‘That explains it.’
In that respect, it resembled the divine arts of the orthodox sects. Though he didn’t know the incantations, there were likely similarities.
‘Her talent must have been a great help in mastering the Unhindered Arts more easily.’
Seo Ryang released her wrist.
“Then this is even stranger.”
“Pardon?”
“I don’t know much about the Lunar Yin Demonic Arts, but I’ve heard rumors that it’s exceptionally safe.”
Compared to the divine arts of the orthodox sects, demonic arts carried an overwhelmingly higher risk of Qi Deviation.
However, that was mostly true for lower-level demonic arts. The higher the level, the greater the safety. Of course, the practitioner’s talent was also crucial.
But no matter how safe, a demonic art was still a demonic art; it couldn't guarantee the same level of safety as the divine arts of the orthodox sects.
The Lunar Yin Demonic Arts was unique in that it was as safe as a divine art.
Though it emitted demonic energy, the initiation process was no different from a divine art that followed the natural order of the heavens.
“So I don’t understand why her yin energy has collapsed like this. Even if someone intentionally tried to ruin her, her body wouldn’t be this damaged.”
“The physicians from the Blood Soul Pavilion said there’s a high probability it was due to reckless training. Judging from the wound near her cranial acupoint, they speculated it happened while she was absorbing an enlightenment.”
“I see.”
Lost in thought, Seo Ryang soon nodded his head.
“Let’s put the worries aside for now and start the treatment.”
“Is there anything I need to prepare for you?”
“Nothing. I came here to maximize the effects of the Unhindered Arts, so there’s no need… Ah!”
Seo Ryang snapped his fingers.
“Please get me some Purifying Herb from the Blood Soul Pavilion.”
“Purifying Herb? You mean that herb that revives yang energy?”
“You know of it?”
“Yes, a little.”
“I can’t use it right now, but once her stamina recovers to a certain extent, I’ll use the Purifying Herb to restore her immune functions.”
“…Are you certain you can do it?”
*If I can’t, she’ll just die, won’t she, lady?*
However, Seo Ryang didn't voice the thought. He couldn't deliver a fatal blow to someone already so full of worry.
“The treatment begins now.”
Seo Ryang’s treatment was simple.
He held Juhwa’s pulse points and circulated the Unhindered Arts. Although her body was devastated, the traces of the Unhindered Arts made it easy to synchronize his Unhindered Energy with hers.
Once the Unhindered Energy was synchronized, he would hammer his own enlightenment into her, forcing it to circulate endlessly.
Five days later.
“A-Amazing.”
“Isn’t it?”
“The functions of her internal organs have mostly returned to normal. How is this possible…”
“I worked very hard. I haven’t slept a wink, you know.”
“But Young Master, Juhwa hasn’t woken up once in five days…”
“If her consciousness were awake and active, she would consume that much more energy. But without consciousness, the body focuses solely on its biological functions. I’ve been feeding her water and porridge through a thin tube into her stomach, so there’s no need to worry.”
“Ah, yes.”
“It’s time to use the Purifying Herb.”
The method for using the Purifying Herb was simple. The dried herb was ground into a powder, mixed with water, and sent through the thin tube. Juhwa’s body, having naturally absorbed the herb, reacted to its medicinal power.
At that very moment, Seo Ryang began to regulate her vital energy.
*Drip, drip.*
Dark red blood trickled from Juhwa’s nose and mouth. The turbid energy that had been lurking throughout her body was being expelled through her blood.
*Woong! Woooong!*
Beads of sweat formed on Seo Ryang’s forehead.
Watching from the side, So Yeonsim’s face filled with wonder.
‘Incredible!’
It was truly a divine regulation of vital energy. This process of forcibly mixing turbid energy with blood to draw it out was impossible without extremely delicate control of one’s energy.
‘Truly, the more I see…’
At first, she was just happy about Juhwa’s rapid recovery, but as time passed, she found herself more and more in awe of Seo Ryang’s abilities.
Another ten-odd days passed like that.
The day before the fifteen days Seo Ryang had promised were up.
“…Umm.”
A pair of trembling eyelids slowly fluttered open.
At last, Juhwa had awakened.