Chapter 2 (5)
Chapter 2 (5)
Because of the wound on Doctor Ju's shoulder caused by a grazing blade, the attack couldn't just be swept under the rug.
So, Doctor Ju and I fabricated evidence, framing them as starving remnants of the Ho-san-chae, and agreed on a story that I had luckily attacked them from behind and killed them.
Naturally, we gave ourselves and the corpses a few scratches to make it look like we'd had a dogfight.
With Doctor Ju's cooperation, I was able to hide the fact that we'd had a bet, and I even got praised by the seniors for saving Doctor Ju from danger.
Gang Byeok's expression was a bit iffy, but I figured I could just butter him up a bit.
Doctor Ju had lived in this county since he was young, and had been hired by Lee Won-dae, the Sect Leader of the Jugeom Sect, living as a member of the Jugeom Sect for a long time.
In other words, to the warriors here, Doctor Ju was practically family.
Anyway, since the attack happened near Taewonhyeon, the Jugeom Sect conducted a massive search for the Ho-san-chae remnants, and things returned to normal.
However, one thing had changed.
Doctor Ju claimed I was good at identifying medicinal herbs, so he assigned me to herb gathering, which led to a change in my position.
I had instinctively recognized the herbs, which led them to deduce that I might have been an herb gatherer before losing my memory.
I had said before that I didn't want to be an herb gatherer, but the situation now is different from back then.
Now that I've coordinated with Doctor Ju, I have time to train alone in the uninhabited mountains under the guise of gathering herbs.
Learning the inefficient Jugeom Sect martial arts was a waste of time anyway, so being able to train on my own was the best of the best situation.
And if I gather just the right amount of herbs—not too many, not too few—there's no reason for anyone to give me flak.
At first, I needed a master to teach me martial arts, but thanks to my stats—Comprehension, Talent, and Medicine at 100—I didn't really need a master for growth anymore.
Of course, a high-level master could act as a compass to show me the way, but it was better to realize things on my own than to be taught by warriors from a second-rate sect.
As time passed, I was able to stockpile more herbs than before, but just as I expected, as soon as Lee Won-dae, the Jugeom Sect Leader, confirmed I had a talent for herb gathering, he ordered me to only gather herbs.
It was to sell the herbs externally and build up funds.
At first, I didn't like this and tried to do it half-heartedly, but after confirming that my talent was greater than I imagined, I saw it as an opportunity to build up my strength to my heart's content.
Later, I even built my own hideout in the mountains; although the game system was gone, I had the luxury of using my medical skills to combine herbs that boosted internal energy and increased my maximum Ki-blood (Vitality) to consume just in case.
Kwajik! Kwajak! Wajijik!
I thrust my fist, reinforced with internal energy, into a large boulder.
Every time my fist struck, the boulder was chipped away, and it began to shrink in size.
"Hup!"
Peoseok!
After finishing it off with a middle kick that completely disintegrated the remaining rock fragments, I tapped the rock with my bare hand and smiled at the sight of not a single scratch on it.
It had been half a year since I became an herb gatherer, but I hadn't taken a break from training martial arts even once.
The feeling I had during that half-year was simply "fun."
It's a bit of a bummer not to experience the conveniences of modern civilization, but feeling my body get stronger day by day was just so enjoyable.
It was only half a year, but my days, which felt like they were born to learn martial arts, were on a completely different trajectory from everyone else's.
However, despite that, I was feeling a sense of regret.
'If only I had real combat experience, I think I'd grow even faster than this.'
Real combat.
The only thing I'm lacking.
When I fought those two bandits before, I instantly advanced the martial arts I possessed.
The Cheonchu Ganggeom I use is similar to the Jugeom Sect's Cheonchu Ganggeom, but the power itself is different.
For example, if the Cheonchu Ganggeom is an E-rank martial art, mine is D-rank?
If someone like me could learn the martial arts of prestigious righteous sects, the techniques of masters, or the martial arts of legendary figures through fortuitous encounters, how much stronger could I get?
I would think about this several times a day, longing to leave the Jugeom Sect and travel the Murim world.
I've hidden the salary I've received so far in my hideout, so I won't run out of money.
Even if I did run out, with my Herb Gathering 100 and Hunting 100 skills, I could make a living anywhere.
But I still couldn't leave this place.
Because I haven't repaid the debt of gratitude I owe the Jugeom Sect.
I even thought about just leaving and repaying them later.
'That's not it. What I want is perfect freedom.'
I want to leave freely, without being tied down by anything.
I don't want to wear shackles that force me to return someday.
'For now, let's keep training internal energy. It's been half a year, so if nothing happens in the remaining half-year, in the worst case, I'll just have to call it even by making them a lot of money as an herb gatherer.'
With that thought finished, I went into the cave.
It's my own hideout located halfway up the mountain.
A mat to lie down and rest on, a mortar for grinding herbs, a medicinal pot for brewing decoctions, and dried medicinal herbs and spices for cooking meat were tied to vines and hanging all over the wall.
The reason I have medicinal herbs and spices for cooking is that, thanks to the Cooking 100 effect, roasting the animals I hunt tastes better.
Plus, in this place without modern systems like large breeding facilities to raise cows or pigs, finding meat is harder than in modern times.
It's not that they don't have it at the restaurant, but it's too expensive.
When I crave meat, it's easier and more convenient to just hunt and eat it.
"Should I go back a bit early today? They said they're holding a welcome party and banquet today because they accepted new martial artist recruits."
The Sect Leader, who had some breathing room after selling the herbs I brought, had been preparing for a banquet for several days to commemorate accepting about 20 new warriors.
Maybe he felt a bit guilty, but he subtly let it be known that herb gatherers make a lot of money and kept me under surveillance.
Since it was information I was bound to find out eventually, he probably tried to get ahead of it so that if I harbored any other intentions, he could deal with me or use force to coerce me into doing it.
I'm kissing his ass, calling him my benefactor, but seeing him act like this really makes me say, "Evil Faction is Evil Faction, indeed."
I spent a week with the surveillance on me, acting as usual, and completely put the Sect Leader's suspicions to rest.
In return, my salary went up a bit, but compared to a professional herb gatherer, it was nothing.
He's determined to work me to the bone, huh.
'Tsk. No matter how much of a benefactor he is, being worked like this is a bit iffy. I absolutely hate this kind of frustrating development.'
I stored only the herbs that had the effect of boosting internal energy and Ki-blood separately in my hideout, then filled my basket with herbs effective for treating wounds and illnesses, and came down the mountain.
Moving quickly by lightening my body through the new movement technique I learned last time, I slowed down as soon as houses came into view.
'Hm? It's a bit noisy?'
The villagers were gathered among themselves, whispering anxiously.
Then, one villager saw my attire and came running over.
"You're from the Jugeom Sect, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Right now, people from the Jeongmumae beat up the Jugeom Sect members who were patrolling the village and then stormed the sect itself!"
"!?"
Jeongmumae? Isn't that the alliance of the righteous Murim factions?
But why the hell are they suddenly storming the Jugeom Sect?
As far as I know, the influence of the Evil Factions and Righteous Factions in Shaanxi is similar, so did they start expanding their influence?
Having confirmed that there was a problem, I ran toward the Jugeom Sect.
Ka-ang!
"Keuheok!"
Lee Won-dae couldn't withstand the impact inflicted upon him and stumbled back with a groan.
He hurriedly looked for people to help him, but his sect members were being unilaterally taken down by the Jeongmumae warriors.
"Ugh! What the hell is this! Do you think the Blood Alliance will just stand by and watch this?"
He shouted in indignation at the woman who was pointing her spear at him with a haughty yet hostile gaze.
A woman in her early to mid-20s wearing red clothes that were easy to move in.
She had long, slightly brownish hair tied tightly into a ponytail to make it easy to move, exuding an active vibe.
The beauty, with her delicate Asian features that harmonized well, created a chilling atmosphere, unlike her active vibe, with a cold voice and killing intent imbued in the tip of her solid iron spear.
"This is not a matter between the Jeongmumae and the Blood Alliance."
"Bullshit! This is a provocation by the Jeongmumae! I will definitely let the Blood Alliance know about this...!"
"To come all this way and still be shameless, Chuihwa-eumryeong Dan Bong-woo!"
"W-what?"
Lee Won-dae couldn't help but be shocked by the woman's words.
Chuihwa-eumryeong Dan Bong-woo.
He was a public enemy of the Murim, a lecher who went around raping beautiful women.
Because he committed these acts of rape regardless of whether they were Righteous or Evil Factions, he was a public enemy of the Murim with a bounty on his head even in the Evil Factions.
"Don't make me laugh! What kind of absurd false charge are you pinning on me!"
"We are the Vermilion Bird Unit of the Jeongmumae, dispatched after hearing the news that Chuihwa-eumryeong was spotted in Shaanxi! After our investigation, we obtained evidence that you are Chuihwa-eumryeong! Surrender peacefully!"
"Me, Chuihwa-eumryeong! I cannot tolerate such an insult!"
Lee Won-dae, who had pride as a martial artist even though he was from an Evil Faction, desperately swung the techniques of the Cheonchu Ganggeom and attacked the woman of the Vermilion Bird Unit.
However, the woman parried Lee Won-dae's sword a few times and then simply subdued him by stabbing his shoulder with the tip of her spear.
"Aargh!"
"Sect Leader!"
"You dog-like bastards! Our Sect Leader is not such a lecher!"
"Tie them up!"
"There's a possibility they are in cahoots with Chuihwa-eumryeong! We need to get their testimony, so subdue them all!"
Warriors rushed in from all sides to help Lee Won-dae, but because the skill of the Jeongmumae's Vermilion Bird Unit was far superior to theirs, they were subdued instead.
Even in the best light, the Jugeom Sect, a second-rate sect, could not defeat the skill of the Vermilion Bird Unit, an elite organization of the Murim Alliance.
"I... I am not such a lecher!!"
Even with an injury to his arm, Lee Won-dae struggled desperately, swinging his sword.
Not dying as a martial artist, but dying because he was misunderstood as a lecher.
He had no choice but to be desperate, as he wanted to deny such a death at all costs.
"Kang! Kang! Chaeng!"
The woman skillfully swung her spear blade and parried Lee Won-dae's attacks.
"If you keep resisting like this, I won't hold back!"
She widened the distance, spun her spear once, gripped it firmly, and swung it with the intent to pierce Lee Won-dae's arm.
"Ugh!?"
In an instant, feeling a strong energy, she looked up.
There, she could see a figure descending onto the spear shaft.
And a sword blade was struck down hard toward the spear.
"Kaaaang!!"
"Augh!"
The woman, feeling the impact of the strike on the spear shaft transmitted to her palms, hurriedly retrieved her spear and stepped back.
'His attire is the same as the other Jugeom Sect warriors? But the attack just now was on a completely different level from the other warriors?'
A young man wearing the same clothes as the other Jugeom Sect warriors.
He looked like he had just come of age, and he frowned with a swaggering expression and attitude.
"Hey."
"Udeuk! Udeuk!"
The man, loosening his muscles by cracking his neck from side to side like a street thug, made an even more irritable expression.
"Who the hell are you guys to come into someone else's sect and act like this?"
"Who the hell are you!"
"Ha, you're violent and have no manners. Isn't it normal to introduce yourself first in a situation like this?"
"Keudeuk...!"
The woman, who had received an unexpected attack, felt hostility, wanting to crush the face of the man who looked triumphant as if he had gained the upper hand.
However, perhaps because she had a desire for fame and wanted to make her name known, she obediently introduced herself as he said.
"My name is the 3rd Squad Leader of the Vermilion Bird Unit, Ok... no, Hong Seol-rin!"
She was about to say her nickname but swallowed her words and only said her name.
Perhaps she didn't like her nickname, or there was some other reason.
"I am Jugeom Sect warrior, Jincheon."
Jincheon swung his sword into the air a few times, then took a stance while radiating a threatening aura.
"Whatever his identity is, I'm in a position where I have to repay my debt of gratitude. You should have picked a better time."