The Past Entwined with the Four Gods (3)
Moyong Woo’s eyes gleamed with interest.
“So you followed him?”
“That is correct. He said he would return around this time tomorrow.”
“Understood. You’ve worked hard.”
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
Once Yoon Ho departed, only Moyong Woo, Muk Bi, So Bang, and Sama Hyeon remained.
Moyong Woo turned to So Bang.
“The journey must have been difficult for you.”
So Bang snorted.
“Your unit has it easy, doesn’t it?”
“Hmm?”
“That leader of yours is far better with his tongue than with martial arts. He could probably charm a ghost.”
Moyong Woo smiled faintly.
“Eloquence is a form of strength. As you said, having such a leader means we rarely suffer losses wherever we go.”
“It must be regrettable that his so-called magnificent martial prowess can’t even match half the skill of that mouth.”
“At least he is stronger than you. Isn’t that fortunate?”
Whoosh.
Killing intent surged from So Bang’s entire body.
Even with her inner energy sealed, her distinctive murderous aura remained fully intact. The atmosphere grew thick and menacing in an instant.
“If you’re so confident, why don’t you suggest unsealing my inner energy and facing me properly?”
Moyong Woo shook his head.
“We are not duelists. We are warriors. For the sake of our goal, we do not choose our methods. We will never commit the foolishness of releasing prey we have already caught.”
“Hmph! Then your leader must truly be a fool. He publicly declared he would set me free.”
“He simply omitted the part where he intends to keep you until you are no longer useful. There is no need for you to worry about that matter.”
So Bang glared at him for a long moment before growling under her breath.
“The instant I regain my freedom, I will deal with you first.”
Moyong Woo nodded.
“I look forward to it.”
Spitting the words like venom, So Bang whirled around and stormed into her quarters.
Watching her receding back, Moyong Woo asked Sama Hyeon.
“What did you say your name was?”
“Sama Hyeon.”
“Not yours. The poison you created.”
A slow-acting poison that shows no symptoms at first. The herbs used actually strengthen the body and enliven qi circulation. Yet anything good in excess becomes poison. Jeok-sim-san filters the natural toxins within its medicinal power and accumulates them in the heart veins. There are no immediate effects, but after a month or two the chest will begin to tighten periodically.
Even if discovered then, treatment is not difficult. However, curing it with inner energy requires overwhelming density of power. Once that window passes, detoxification becomes impossible for anyone short of the Sacred Heavens Thirteen Seats.
Sama Hyeon’s eyes flashed.
“It is called Jeok-sim-san.”
“Can you explain it?”
Surprisingly, Sama Hyeon answered without hesitation.
“In the beginning there are no symptoms at all. The medicinal ingredients that go into it are tonic in nature, so the body’s condition actually improves and qi circulation becomes more vigorous.”
“And yet?”
“Even good things become poison when taken in excess. All the more so when the substance is meant to be used as poison. Jeok-sim-san is a toxin that filters the natural venom within its potency and stores it in the heart veins. There is no abnormality at first, but after a month or two the chest will begin to feel tight from time to time.”
“……”
“Even if discovered at that point, treatment is not difficult. However, curing it with inner energy requires overwhelmingly dense power. Once that period is exceeded, self-detoxification is impossible unless one is a master on the level of the Sacred Heavens Thirteen Seats.”
“Are you certain?”
“I am certain. Of course, there are always exceptions.”
The way he spoke made it clear this was no ordinary poison.
“Is there an antidote?”
“There is none.”
“……None?”
“Correct. There is only a medicine that delays the rotting of the heart veins.”
Moyong Woo’s gaze deepened.
“Then, if the Jeok-sim-san cannot be detoxified, one must live with that medicine for the rest of their life?”
“At most ten years. Even with the medicine slowing it, true longevity is impossible. How could anyone live long when the poison rots the heart veins and disrupts blood flow?”
“……How vicious.”
Sama Hyeon offered no reply. Perhaps he simply saw no need to answer.
He had lived more than half his life as an assassin. Even if his original nature was good, after killing countless people in such an environment, he could no longer imagine any life other than that of a killer.
Moyong Woo, who had been quietly thinking, gave a light nod and dismissed him.
“You should rest as well.”
“I was about to.”
“Ah, before you go, may I ask one thing?”
“……?”
“How did you come to be here?”
Sama Hyeon answered with a somewhat indifferent expression.
“I intend to ask that person the same question tomorrow.”
In any case, it meant he had come at Yeon Hojeong’s invitation.
Once Sama Hyeon returned to his quarters, only Moyong Woo and Muk Bi remained.
Muk Bi spoke first.
“Still, it resolved better than expected. The Guangdong civilian affairs, I mean.”
“That is true, but…”
Moyong Woo clicked his tongue.
“From what I hear, he handled it rather coercively.”
“Considering Lord Yeon—pardon, the Commander’s usual way of doing things, it isn’t particularly surprising.”
“True. But the other party consists of imperial officials. They may lower their heads for now, but if they harbor resentment, it could become troublesome later.”
“I heard they were the highest leaders of each department. Would people in such positions really hold a grudge?”
Moyong Woo shook his head.
“I would not dare claim to know the world better than you, but whether in the merchant world or in the Martial Alliance, I have learned one thing.”
“……?”
“Those who play at politics never forget when they suffer loss or are suppressed.”
“……!”
“If they bow their heads to someone once, they will surely make that person bow to them in the future. They believe their authority cannot stand otherwise.”
“That’s…”
“Some obtain positions through effort and character, but in other cases the position molds the person. Such people do not distinguish between authority and power, and they are usually accustomed to rights they never have to answer for.”
A faint worry crossed Muk Bi’s face.
“Then what should we do?”
Moyong Woo shook his head again.
“I do not believe the Commander’s method is right. No, there is no need to debate right and wrong in the first place. We simply carry out the orders we are given. However…”
“……?”
“Considering the Commander’s personality, I doubt he would act so aggressively without the confidence to withstand any backlash that might come.”
Moyong Woo forced a smile.
“For now, let us focus on the present. In the end he won over the officials’ hearts, so the atmosphere in Guangdong should be corrected before long.”
“Ah, yes.”
“You worked hard on the journey as well. Go inside and rest.”
“Understood. Rest well too, Commander.”
“I will.”
Moyong Woo looked up at the sky.
The day had grown darker than expected. The air was turning muggy, yet for some reason a chill kept crawling across his skin.
“There probably won’t be any major problems… I suppose.”
From the foot of the mountain any peak would look imposing, yet Foshan was especially vast.
Despite its grand scale it possessed a tranquil atmosphere. While the skies in every direction were dark, the sky above Foshan alone seemed remarkably clear.
“Can you see it? There—that place.”
“I see it.”
“That cave is the entrance. Follow it inside and countless tunnels branch out. We live right there.”
Yeon Hojeong narrowed his eyes.
Whooooosh.
The temperature was humid and the air sultry.
Yet Yeon Hojeong could sense it instinctively—the cool breeze blowing from within that cave.
It was no ordinary place. His senses told him so.
This was not a lair for demonic practitioners who walked unorthodox paths, nor a den for blood-soaked killers. He sensed no evil occurring there.
But.
They’re swarming.
After his martial realm had risen through the battle with Yayul Jeok, Yeon Hojeong could now accept far more of the enlightenment he had possessed as the Black Dark Emperor.
Even at the same level, one’s senses and sensitivity to qi differed. It was a presence he would have simply passed by before, but the instant Tam-gyeong pointed out the cave, every one of his senses locked onto it, reading the subtly flowing density of qi.
There are many strong ones.
The exact number was impossible to judge. The distance was too great; even Yeon Hojeong could not tell how many experts resided there.
However.
“They’re dull.”
“Hmm?”
Yeon Hojeong glanced at Tam-gyeong.
“Not only you, old man. Most of the experts living there have dull true energy.”
“Huh! You can sense that?”
“It is less sensing through qi and more intuition. If any of them had been actively fighting real battles until recently, the feeling would have been far more dangerous.”
Tam-gyeong could not hide his admiration.
“The distance is considerable, yet you notice such things. You continue to surprise me.”
“It is nothing special.”
“It is quite special. Your current realm must be at least equal to the sect leaders of the Nine Great Schools. That alone is impressive, yet I doubt there is anyone else at that level with senses as keen as yours.”
“Then I shall take it that way.”
Tam-gyeong, who had been quietly watching Yeon Hojeong, smiled softly.
“You resemble him.”
“Who do you mean?”
“You look very much like that person.”
“Who exactly are you speaking of?”
“The one I presume to be your master.”
“……!!”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes widened slightly.
Tam-gyeong gazed up at the sky.
“It was when I was a promising talent in Shaolin. Despite the expectations placed on me, I was tormented by inner conflict. I had hit a severe wall in my martial arts.”
“……”
“At that time I happened to meet him. There were no words exchanged. He looked at me and smiled, and without realizing it I swung my fist first. You can guess the outcome?”
“……”
“It was a complete defeat. It would have been better if he had simply beaten me senseless. Instead, without using any inner energy, he dismantled the Shaolin techniques I employed from their very foundation.”
“……No way.”
Yeon Hojeong spoke haltingly.
“You met him?”
“If I had not met that person, I would never have realized you had trained in the Four Gods.”
“……!”
“You resemble him greatly. Your appearance and build are entirely different, yet your eyes are practically identical. And after observing you these past days, I see that it is not only your eyes—even the wisdom wrapped beneath that radical nature is the same.”
Yeon Hojeong stared at him for a long moment before asking in a slightly hoarse voice.
“Where did he go?”
“If that person is your master, wouldn’t you know better than I?”
He did not know.
Since his return he had not met his master, and during his days as the Black Dark Emperor the master had left him first.
That person had always been like that. He would appear without warning, embrace a shattered soul, teach martial arts for several years, and once he judged some achievement had been made, he would vanish just as suddenly.
Surprisingly, even to Yeon Hojeong his master remained a figure wrapped in mystery.
He was a man of affection, yet he never gave the deep bond typical between master and disciple.
That did not mean he neglected his teachings. On the contrary, in strictness he surpassed even Yeon Wi, his father. The life wisdom and truths of the world he imparted were treasures only a sage could possess.
An benefactor who taught not only knowledge and martial arts but also how to carve one’s own path. Yet an invisible wall always prevented closeness—a truly difficult and longed-for existence.
“He told me that someday, if fate allowed, I would be able to meet his disciple. That I might meet the successor of the Four Gods.”
“……”
“It was you. The moment I saw you, I knew. That you were his disciple.”
Tam-gyeong, who had been quietly watching the sky, lowered his gaze to Yeon Hojeong.
“Though the entire Buddhist sect keeps its mouth sealed, I believe it is fine to tell you—what we, former monks of the Buddhist order, are seeking in this place.”
“……What is it?”
Eternal life.
A life without death.
Immortality.
Tam-gyeong’s eyes deepened.
“We were investigating immortality.”