Chapter 2 (1)
Chapter 2 (1)
Something like a warm blanket is covering my body.
The feel of a hard pillow and the feel of a blanket.
As soon as I regained consciousness, I felt those sensations and slowly opened my eyes.
The first thing I saw was a gray ceiling.
I closed my eyes again and stealthily moved my limbs.
It doesn't feel like I'm tied up.
Confirming that my body was free, I sat up.
I'm inside some building.
It's a space where a few people could lie down, and I could see bloodstains here and there, along with blankets stuck with dried blood.
"Keuk......!"
Ugh... my whole body is throbbing.......
Well, it would be weird if it didn't throb after getting beaten up like that.
Still, looks like they at least gave me some first aid.
Since I smell something bitter on my body, it seems they used some kind of medicine.
Bang!
Just then, the door in the center opened, and a man who looked injured and an old man appeared.
"Oh, you're awake. I have a lot to say, but I'm busy right now. Here, sit down."
"Ugh... yes......."
The man was bleeding from the back of his hand.
The old man brought something like a lidded bowl.
Then, he scooped out some yellowish medicine with his finger, applied it to the man's wound, and treated it with a clean bandage.
'It's a standard-level Golden Wound Medicine. For a normal external injury, that level of Golden Wound Medicine is enough... is this the effect of Medical Skill 100.......'
As soon as I saw the medicine, various thoughts popped into my head without me realizing it.
But now is not the time to think about that.
First of all.......
"Elder, where is this place?"
"This is the infirmary of the Jugeom Sect. I am the physician."
"Jugeom... Sect......? Where is that place?"
"You don't know the Jugeom Sect? You're not from around here, are you? Anyone living near Taewon in Shaanxi would know the Jugeom Sect."
"Shaanxi......? Taewon......?"
Before I started Pungun Murim, I checked various information on the internet.
Major events. Geography. Locations of famous sects.
'So... if it's Shaanxi, it was the region located west of the Henan region where the Shaolin Temple is, right......? It's also where the Jongnam Sect is located.'
I don't know about a place called Taewon, but if it's Shaanxi, it must be the Shaanxi I'm thinking of.
'Jugeom Sect....... I can't recall it. The fact that I don't remember it means it's just an average sect.'
"Hmph, so you didn't even know where you were?"
A thought flashed through my mind.
The Jugeom Sect that raided the Sanho Fortress.
Me getting beaten up by the bandit leader of the Sanho Fortress.
From the Jugeom Sect's perspective, they'd want to know my identity.
If I tell the truth, I'll definitely be treated like a crazy person.
But it's hard to make up a flimsy excuse either.
Because I'm a person who literally popped out of nowhere in this world.
Then!
"Why am I in Shaanxi... ugh......!"
I clutched my head as if it hurt.
While putting my best acting into it, even getting emotionally involved.
"I can't... remember......! Who was I......? What... on earth am I......!? Aaaaaah!!"
I screamed like a madman while clutching my head.
"You! Hold that young fellow down so he doesn't go crazy!"
"Yes, Elder!"
The man who had the injury on the back of his hand overpowered me with force as I was thrashing about.
Taking advantage of that opening, the physician pressed his finger against the back of my neck.
"Keuk......!"
Ugh... the Cheonju acupoint.......
My consciousness... is... fading.......
Is this... what they call... acupoint striking.......
Jugeom Sect, Sect Leader's Office.
"He can't remember?"
Lee Won-dae, the Sect Leader of the Jugeom Sect, furrowed his brows at the physician's report.
"Yes. He says he can't remember anything except his own name and age. It seems he has lost his memory due to trauma to the head. Whether it's temporary or permanent is unknown at this time."
"Hmm......."
Lee Won-dae was curious about the identity of this person named Jincheon.
Why was he in the territory of the Ho-san-chae?
Why was he getting beaten up by the leader of the Ho-san-chae?
'It shouldn't be anything major.'
For one, I've never heard the name Jincheon.
Furthermore, upon checking separately, I couldn't find any traces of internal energy in him.
Instead, the name Jincheon bothers me a bit.
Putting 'Cheon' (Heaven) in his name.
His parents must have been very arrogant, or they held some profession and named him that with the intention that he reach the ultimate level in that profession.
No one would accuse him of treason or anything just because of a name, but since it's such an obvious name, it actually gives the impression of uneducated commoners.
'There's no other explanation than that he just had the bad luck to enter the Ho-san-chae's territory.'
No matter how I look at it, this is the most convincing explanation.
Besides, there are no traces of him learning martial arts, so there's no reason for him to be involved with other sects.
'Still, thanks to that, I was able to easily catch Seung U-hyeon, that bastard.'
The Ho-san-chae raided a merchant group sponsored by the Jugeom Sect.
Normally, it would have ended with paying a toll, but Seung U-hyeon, who recently gained some small enlightenment and improved his martial arts, lost his fear.
While preparing to lead the Jugeom Sect's elites to raid the Ho-san-chae at night, I received intelligence from a spy infiltrated into the Ho-san-chae that Seung U-hyeon had taken some of his subordinates and gone outside.
I wondered if it might be a trap, but thinking about it now, I suspect he mistook this person named Jincheon for a spy and went out himself.
'I treated his injuries as a reward, so he shouldn't have any complaints.'
Lee Won-dae, who easily subjugated the Sanho Fortress thanks to Jincheon, had told the physician to treat him.
Since he covered the medical expenses, it should be enough of a reward.
"Um... however......."
But the physician hadn't finished speaking yet.
"The young man named Jincheon said he wants to join the Jugeom Sect to repay the favor."
"The Jugeom Sect?"
"Yes. He seems scared to go outside in a situation where he has lost his memory and doesn't even know who he is. He begged quite desperately."
A situation where he has lost all his memories and is left all alone.
It's certainly understandable that he'd be scared.
"And......."
The physician, who would normally wait for Lee Won-dae's decision here, opened his mouth cautiously.
"I checked while treating that young man's injuries, and his Geungol was excellent. It's a level worth expecting something from if he learns martial arts."
"Is that so? We needed to replenish our personnel since a few died anyway, so that works out well."
Although they killed Seung U-hyeon and his subordinates through a surprise attack, it wasn't without casualties.
Because Seung U-hyeon, whose martial arts had improved to the point where he was incredibly bold, had caused twenty warriors to die even after a perfect surprise attack, they were in a situation where they needed to replenish new warriors.
In such a situation, hearing that a talent with good Geungol had appeared, it was worth raising him as a warrior.
"Good. How is his condition?"
"If he gets treated for a few more days, there won't be any major problems with learning martial arts."
"Understood. I'll handle the rest."
"Yes, then."
The physician, having relayed all the information he knew, left the room like that.
'If he feels indebted to me, I can work him cheaply. If Doctor Ju is that confident that his Geungol is excellent, he should be useful.'
At this time, neither the physician nor Lee Won-dae knew.
What kind of result this choice, made without much thought, would create.
Yes! Yes! Yes!
It worked! It worked! It worked!
Honestly, I was half-gambling, but to think they'd accept me as a sect member!
After filling my stomach with fucking tasteless food for a few days and having my injuries fully healed, I walked around the interior of the Jugeom Sect with a warrior who told me to follow him.
Honestly, I didn't expect to recover in less than a week after getting beaten up like that, but I guess my Geungol and Ganggong were excellent, so the injuries weren't as serious as I thought.
Plus, my recovery rate must have exceeded that of a normal person due to the effect of my Geungol.
Anyway, since I had joined the Jugeom Sect, I checked where I needed to do what, following the warrior's words that I needed to know the geography inside the Jugeom Sect.
And after asking this and that, I found out the true nature of the place called the Jugeom Sect.
Surprisingly, the Jugeom Sect was a sect on the side of the Evil Faction.
Generally, when you think of an Evil Faction sect, it feels like a gang.
But the Evil Faction I saw was a bit different.
Taewon, which the physician mentioned, is the name of the village where the Jugeom Sect is located.
The Jugeom Sect is the sect that rules that small-to-medium-sized city.
And they have an agreement with the merchants of Taewon to receive protection money and protect them.
The scope of 'protection' here was quite broad; it meant blocking by force if other merchant groups encroached on the territory of the Taewon merchants, or retaliating if a merchant group was attacked.
I heard that the reason the Jugeom Sect attacked the Sanho Fortress was also because they attacked the local merchant group of Taewon.
Whatever the reason, this Jugeom Sect is practically my lifesaver, and they are generous people who even teach me martial arts.
Still, I thought the Evil Faction was like those old-school gangsters from the 80s, but they don't do things like that.
Well, if they extorted merchants and caused harm to residents like 80s gangsters, it would create an opening for other external sects to attack.
Through talking with the warrior, I found out that the Jugeom Sect is a sect that has been established in this Taewon for quite a long time.
In other words, they've known each other's faces since they were young and are practically neighbors, so causing harm is a bit much, even for the Evil Faction.
Anyway, I was guided to the warriors' dormitory.
"Jang Pyeong! Jang Pyeong!"
"What's up, you two hyung-nims?"
"It's a newbie. He doesn't know a thing about martial arts, so train him from the basics."
"Got it. Hey, newbie! Come here."
The warrior called Jang Pyeong, who looked exactly like a veteran soldier, pointed his finger at me.
"Oh, a newbie?"
"He looks like a pretty boy, can he be of any use?"
"Do you think martial arts are only strong if your face is as dirty as yours?"
"What!?"
Ah, reminds me of the army.
It feels pretty shitty to be welcomed by men who have rolled around in the dirt.
There's not even 1% of a woman's scent.
But until I learn martial arts, I am strictly the subordinate.
"Please take care of me, hyung-nims! I will do my absolute best!"
"Oh, he's sharp?"
"Yeah. The previous newbies just had nasty tempers, so it was a real pain in the ass to train them."
"Hey. Why are you introducing yourself to the youngest? That's you, you."
They must have been quite close, as they giggled non-stop while receiving the newbie.
Just because they are warriors of the Evil Faction doesn't mean they are barbarians who fight each other all the time.
Unless there is an internal power struggle, the power led by the Sect Leader is perfectly established, so there's no reason for the warriors to cause problems among themselves.
"Hey, Gang Byeok. Clear out the youngest's spot and clean it up a bit."
"Ah, no! Senior! If you show me, I'll clean it myself!"
As soon as I saw the face of the guy named Gang Byeok scrunch up with annoyance, I preemptively said I would do it myself.
At those words, Gang Byeok's face relaxed.
It's blatantly obvious that he's relieved not to have to take on a troublesome task.
As I said before, I have a bad personality.
But because I know my own personality is bad, I know how to make a good impression on others.
You ask why a guy who knows that made enemies?
Fuck, that's only good for a day or two.
My patience can't handle it for years.
In other words, it means I have to climb to a position where these guys can't look down on me within a year.
Thus, my life in the Murim world began.