Chapter 84
Chapter 84
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: A Companion on the Eastern Path
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"Hold on! Let me come with you!"
Mok Yangil, who had come running breathlessly after Hyeok Mulin, shouted at the top of his lungs.
Sensing his movement, Hyeok Mulin came to a halt right there on the spot.
Having finally caught up to Hyeok Mulin, Mok Yangil clutched his knees and spat out ragged breaths as he spoke.
"Huff... huff. I can't help but notice it again, but your steps are incredibly swift."
"Why are you following me?"
Hyeok Mulin's question was perfectly reasonable.
His request had clearly ended with an introduction to a physician he knew.
After catching his breath for a moment, Mok Yangil gave his answer.
"To be honest, you've sparked tremendous interest in me."
"Interest?"
"Indeed. At first, I thought you were just another newcomer desperate to reclaim his dantian. But to think you were hiding such profound martial arts... And yet, you turned down the Dominion Overlord Alliance's offer without a second thought. I was truly impressed."
Mok Yangil admitted that, after living a dull, solitary life on the island for so long, discovering Hyeok Mulin had ignited his curiosity.
His eyes gleaming, Mok Yangil turned the tables and made a request of Hyeok Mulin this time.
"Might you allow me to travel with you? As I mentioned before, I've lived on this island quite a while, so I can be of help at the very least. I certainly won't hold you back."
Hyeok Mulin met his gaze for a moment before nodding.
"Very well. Let's look out for each other."
Hyeok Mulin accepted his goodwill without refusal.
For someone who had only recently arrived, navigating the island alone was far worse than gaining a companion familiar with the terrain.
Moreover, judging by his build and the way he moved so far, he clearly wouldn't drag him down in a fight.
"That said, I'm not sure if our journey together will satisfy your curiosity."
"Heh heh. No need to worry about that. Every moment with you has already been plenty intriguing."
Flashing a grin, Mok Yangil joined Hyeok Mulin's side and asked,
"Where were you headed next?"
"I've already scouted the western region to some extent. So I was planning to check the east this time."
"An excellent choice. The east isn't firmly under either the Dominion Overlord Alliance or the Heavenly Net Liberation Society, so it should be easy enough to investigate."
Nodding in agreement, Mok Yangil continued.
"And near the eastern coast, there's a temporary shelter I set up before."
"Oh?"
"When I first arrived on the island, I missed the outside world so much that I practically lived along the eastern coast. I'd stare endlessly at the horizon until my eyes ached."
His eyes grew wistful with nostalgia as he recalled the past, his lips curving faintly.
"Who knew it would end up being useful in this form now."
"Then we can spend the night there and move on."
"Agreed."
With their route decided, they set off immediately.
They crossed rugged mountains, leaped over dizzying cliffs where the ground below was invisible, and at times hacked through vines—or even trees—when paths vanished.
As they pushed through the treacherous terrain, Mok Yangil paused to catch his breath and spoke to Hyeok Mulin.
"That fight of yours earlier was impressive. I thought you might win by a slim chance, but I didn't expect such a total domination."
"No need to flatter me. They weren't particularly strong opponents."
"Ha! Treating that guy like roadside trash. If you said that anywhere else, people would faint in shock."
Giving Hyeok Mulin an incredulous look, he continued.
"Do you know who that man you crushed was? He's the murder ghost who slaughtered over a hundred ronin in Yunnan Province last year and got locked away here without even a trial. I heard even warriors from the Iron Spear Sect suffered heavy losses trying to capture him."
Hm.
Come to think of it, his name had appeared in a report from the Secret Affairs Hall before.
No wonder his eyes brimmed with killing intent—he was a demon blinded by bloodlust.
"On top of that, right after arriving here, he caught the Dominion Overlord Alliance's eye and rose straight to executive rank. And you left him a cripple beyond recovery."
The Millennium Jade Prison operated purely on the law of strength.
With his body shattered, Gyusol wouldn't display his old prowess again—and without help from others, he could barely walk on his own two feet now.
No one here would aid someone unable to fend for themselves.
"Seeing his state, even the Dominion Overlord Alliance will cast him out without hesitation. Plenty have been waiting for a chance to settle scores with him after his rampages. He'll meet a miserable end soon enough."
"A death fitting for him."
If you seek to kill others, you must be prepared to die yourself.
Hyeok Mulin nodded at the simple truth.
Glancing sidelong at him, Mok Yangil resumed walking and posed a new question.
"Given your extraordinary skill, you must have made quite a name for yourself out there. Mind if I ask your nickname or sect?"
"I lived in such a remote area that I have no nickname. Same for any sect."
Hm.
Singwang was pretty out of the way, after all.
"What a pity. If you'd stepped into the central plains, you'd have been renowned as a great warrior. Such a shame."
Mok Yangil clicked his tongue regretfully.
As they pressed on, he noticed the surrounding mountains and terrain shifting, so he stopped for a moment.
Then he promptly dropped flat and pressed his ear to the ground.
Closing his eyes and focusing his hearing, he soon detected a faint trickling sound.
"This way."
Following Mok Yangil's brisk strides, they soon reached a river.
"We'll follow this from now on."
As he said, they headed steadily east along the river and soon spotted a broad, black boulder resembling a frog's back.
Seeing it, Mok Yangil broke into a bright smile.
"We're here."
As the sun dipped low and dusk settled, they passed the black boulder and finally arrived at the eastern coast.
Mok Yangil gazed at the shoreline with a mix of exasperation and deep sentiment.
"It's been ages since I was last here."
"If you stayed here for quite a while, did you ever see ships from the Murim Alliance?"
"Of course."
"What about the cycle for ships and prisoners arriving?"
"Cycle..."
Pondering Hyeok Mulin's question, he gave a vague answer.
"The intervals vary too much for a precise answer, but... it's at least yearly. Since you arrived recently, it's unlikely more will come for a while."
"I see."
Nodding, Hyeok Mulin walked along the coast, surveying the terrain.
Soon, he turned and followed Mok Yangil into the brush.
Mok Yangil's steps halted not far from the shore.
"This is it. Looking at it now, it's a bit shabby."
He introduced his temporary shelter with an awkward expression.
It had a small wooden roof to shield from rain, and the floor was piled with dry leaves serving as a bed.
"It's more than sufficient."
Hyeok Mulin meant it sincerely.
Since arriving on the island, he'd only snatched brief dozes on bare ground.
"Heh heh. Thanks for saying so."
By now, night had fully fallen.
After lighting a fire, he told Hyeok Mulin to rest and headed to the coast to set basket traps in the rocky inlets.
Returning to the shelter, he prepared a meal.
When he pulled out some wild boar meat, Hyeok Mulin paused him.
"Let's have something else for dinner."
Grabbing nearby pebbles, Hyeok Mulin flung them into the brush.
Thwack!
A crisp sound rang out.
"Hm?"
At the noise, Mok Yangil pushed through the undergrowth with puzzled steps.
There lay a rabbit, collapsed with a lump on its head, twitching feebly.
Grabbing it by the ears and lifting it, Mok Yangil stared at Hyeok Mulin in astonishment.
"A true master hunter. With you around, starvation's off the table."
...Once was enough for boar meat.
After sharing the crisply roasted rabbit, they finished their modest meal and lay down to sleep.
The crackling of burning firewood filled their night.
The next day.
Waking with a yawn, Mok Yangil sat up.
"...Hm?"
But the person who should have been there was gone, with no sign of anyone nearby.
Rubbing his bleary eyes and tidying up, he was about to search for the missing man when—
"You're awake."
Hyeok Mulin appeared from behind and greeted him.
Surprised, Mok Yangil asked,
"Out early in the morning? Where'd you go?"
"Just worked up a sweat."
"Heh."
His healthy flush suggested more than a quick workout.
Astounded that he'd trained since dawn, Mok Yangil could only shake his head.
"Impressive. Give me a moment."
After stepping away briefly, he returned with the basket traps.
Four or five fish were already flopping inside from the ones set the night before.
After a hearty breakfast of grilled fish, they discussed their next move in earnest.
They were at the eastern edge now.
"Up or down—which way first?"
"Hm..."
Mok Yangil pondered with a low hum.
"South is Dominion Overlord Alliance territory, so it's risky. North seems better, but..."
Closing his eyes in thought, he soon proposed something new.
"Since we're heading north anyway, how about visiting the Heavenly Net Liberation Society? I know someone there who might help."
The Heavenly Net Liberation Society.
A group of those desperate to escape the island, right?
No reason to avoid them unless they came at him like the Dominion Overlord Alliance.
"Very well."
"Then let's prepare to move out now."
With Hyeok Mulin's ready agreement, they packed lightly and headed north.
Soon, they entered a rugged cliff area in the northeast.
Jagged rocks jutted in chaotic disarray.
Thin slabs stacked like thousands of plates formed deep crevices between boulders, so sheer that even peering down sent chills up the spine.
Under the blazing sun, after hours traversing the barren zone, Mok Yangil was drenched in sweat, breathing heavily.
But Hyeok Mulin moved effortlessly from start to finish, never showing fatigue as he lightly scaled the crags.
Glancing at his superior stamina and grace, Mok Yangil shook his head in admiration and asked,
"How do you move so effortlessly?"
Hyeok Mulin answered without difficulty.
"Don't tense your toes—focus on whatever you touch."
"...I haven't the foggiest what that means."
Unable to grasp the advice, Mok Yangil shook his head.
At that moment, Hyeok Mulin halted and stared straight ahead.
Puzzled, Mok Yangil looked forward again.
"Hm?"
About fifty jang away.
Dark silhouettes that looked like people tangled in chaotic melee entered his view.
Drawing closer, their identities became clear.
The leader was a solidly built man gripping a massive bow.
He was locked in a one-against-many brawl with surrounding warriors.
"Capture him!"
"If you can't subdue him, kill him!"
Mok Yangil's face hardened as he recognized the fighters mid-battle.
"Those are..."
"You know them?"
"No close ties, but I know who that archer is. Didn't expect him here."
The man at the front was Yi Bija, the Wind Yang Divine Bow.
One of the few who roamed the island solo, like Mok Yangil.
"He's a formidable archer, from what I've heard. Despite persistent courtship from both the Heavenly Net Liberation Society and Dominion Overlord Alliance, he always refused."
"Oh?"
"And his foes look like Dominion Overlord Alliance... I can't fathom why they're clashing in Heavenly Net Liberation Society territory."
Observing them briefly, Mok Yangil shook his head.
"Best to steer clear and go around. It'll be longer, but safer."
He was right.
Hyeok Mulin had already brutally crushed Gyusol, an executive of the Dominion Overlord Alliance. Getting entangled here could turn it into full enmity if things went wrong.
So Mok Yangil turned to backtrack.
But Hyeok Mulin stood motionless, still watching ahead.
As Mok Yangil tilted his head in confusion and opened his mouth to call out—
"Too late for that, it seems."
"...?"
At his words, Mok Yangil peered past Hyeok Mulin's shoulder.
His eyes widened in shock at what he saw.
"What the hell is that guy doing...!"
Yi Bija was charging straight toward them like a madman.
With pursuers hot on his heels.