Chapter 120
Translator: uly
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: An Empty Camel is Ridden by Someone
Martial God (120)
For now, they decided to leave the corpse underground.
Sleeping with a body nearby felt unsettling, and abandoning it where the sandstorm could bury it didn't sit right either. Normally, burying a corpse would be the best option, but even that didn't feel right.
He wasn't sure if he could tell, but he wanted to know why the body had been brought here. No, more accurately, regardless of the reasons, it didn't seem truly dead, so he couldn't bury it.
While serving as a mortician's apprentice, Ak Muyoo had seen countless corpses. But he'd never encountered one in a state like this woman. The body from the coffin didn't look dead—it seemed like someone in a deep coma. He couldn't bury someone like that.
"If Sun Woo Chang Cheon asks, let's just say we didn't see any body."
He said as they climbed back up to the house.
"Why?"
"It seems like the fight broke out over that body. No point acting like we know about it and getting dragged into trouble."
"Pretending we don't know is better for us?"
"Yeah."
"Got it."
The two climbed up.
Sun Woo Chang Cheon was awake.
"Young hero...?"
Sun Woo Chang Cheon was startled to recognize Ak Muyoo. He hadn't expected to see him again here.
"Looks like we're fated to keep meeting."
Ak Muyoo smiled faintly.
"Did you save me again?"
"I didn't do much. Just applied some medicine to your wounds and laid you down here."
"But if it weren't for you, I'd be dead."
"Sun Woo hero must not be fated to die yet."
"Still, I should express my thanks."
Sun Woo Chang Cheon clasped his hands in respect.
"Oh..."
His face twisted. He'd forgotten he'd lost his right arm.
"Seems like you were right-handed. That's a shame."
"What can you do? It's a martial artist's fate."
Sun Woo Chang Cheon sighed, glancing at his severed right arm. The one who'd cut it off was Wudang Sect warrior Sword Immortal Jin Guang. His face had been masked, but his martial arts couldn't be hidden. The techniques he'd used were Wudang swordsmanship.
'I'll pay you back someday. Definitely.'
Sun Woo Chang Cheon clenched his left fist tightly.
"The Boundless Heaven Squad seemed to number nearly two hundred. Did they all fall too?"
"No. We were attacked by the enemy on the way and got separated."
It wasn't separation.
When Huang Wu's group, who'd lagged behind, caught up, they'd split into two teams there. One to lure the enemy, the other to head straight for the Yellow River.
He'd taken the role of luring the enemy.
With one stone coffin and five coffin-like objects, he'd set out first with thirty squad members.
Even with fewer numbers, the enemy wouldn't let the leader go—they were certain of it. And they'd been right. The enemy pursued and caught up here.
The fight broke out. All the squad members with him died, and he didn't know where the stone coffin had gone.
"I see."
Ak Muyoo nodded.
"Did you happen to see a stone coffin where I collapsed?"
"There was one, but it was empty."
"Empty?"
"Yes."
"Hmm."
Sun Woo Chang Cheon let out a groan. They'd lost one of the six stone coffins.
'No helping it.'
"Care for something to eat?"
"Is there food?"
"We have porridge made with jerky and grain powder."
"If you've got it, please give me some."
"Sure."
Ak Muyoo and Yo Pung left the room and went to the kitchen.
"I'll go fetch some water."
Ak Muyoo grabbed a jar and headed outside. He glanced at the room where Sun Woo Chang Cheon was, then went down.
"Oh no!"
Ak Muyoo grimaced.
A camel lay dead at the village edge. It must have strayed from its herd, wandered into the village, and gotten caught in the martial artists' fight.
"Yo Pung!"
Ak Muyoo shouted upward.
Yo Pung came out to the house front moments later.
"What?"
"A camel's dead."
"Guess we'll have meat."
"If it's not spoiled, I'll butcher some."
Ak Muyoo went to the camel and began butchering it. Dismantling beasts was one of his specialties. The meat was still fresh.
He selected fatty cuts and sliced off a good portion. He took the meat to the spring.
"Huh?"
Ak Muyoo's eyes widened upon arriving at the spring.
The body he'd left there earlier was gone. He looked around. It hadn't been long—barely half a shichen.
"It was definitely here..."
He tilted his head.
It hadn't been that much time, so forgetting the spot didn't make sense.
"Maybe somewhere else?"
He shook his head, washed his hands, picked up the meat, and climbed back up. Yo Pung was preparing to grill. He'd broken pieces from the stone coffin to make a hearth and set the pot lid over it. He lit the fire, and the lid heated up.
Just then, Ak Muyoo approached.
"We've got salt, so no need to fetch any."
Yo Pung pointed to the seasoning jar.
"Perfect for grilling."
Ak Muyoo placed the meat on the hot lid. Yo Pung sprinkled salt. With a satisfying sizzle, the camel meat cooked.
That's when Sun Woo Chang Cheon came out from the room.
"Did you hunt a camel?"
He asked as he approached the two.
"Found one dead."
"I think I saw one last night. Must be that one."
"Thanks to it, we've got a feast. Sit."
Ak Muyoo offered him a spot.
Sun Woo Chang Cheon sat by the fire. Ak Muyoo sliced and grilled the meat. Once done, he served it in a bowl to Sun Woo Chang Cheon.
"Thanks."
Sun Woo Chang Cheon shoveled the food into his mouth.
"What was in the stone coffins?"
"Well..."
Sun Woo Chang Cheon trailed off.
"No need if it's hard to say."
"No, I'll tell you. They contained corpses. Strictly speaking, jiangshi."
"Jiangshi?"
Ak Muyoo and Yo Pung's eyes widened.
Now he understood why "Great Heavenly Corpse" was written on them.
"It's called Absolute Heavenly Corpse."
"With all the factions after them, they must be extraordinary jiangshi."
"I can only say that much about them."
"Ah."
"But this meat is delicious. Can't even remember the last time I had any."
"We have liquor too. Want a drink?"
"If you've got it, sure."
"Be right back."
Ak Muyoo stood and went down.
He'd submerged two bottles of liquor in the spring. The idea came from liquor he'd gotten from Mok Bu-seong before—chilling it made it taste so much better.
Descending to the village, Ak Muyoo entered the underground spring area.
Splash!
'Huh?'
His eyes widened. He heard water splashing. Something was in the spring.
He cautiously approached the spring.
Splash! Splash! Splash!
The water kept splashing like someone playing.
"You little rascal, Zabujong."
Ak Muyoo ran toward the spring. In an instant, he bounded down the stairs and stood before it.
"Huh?"
Ak Muyoo's eyes bulged.
A naked woman stared at him wide-eyed. She was so shocked she didn't even think to cover herself. Thanks to that, Ak Muyoo memorized every inch of her nude body.
Her figure was truly remarkable.
Even Ak Muyoo, no expert on women, could confidently say it was the finest in the Central Plains. A truly blessed body.
"Ahem!"
Ak Muyoo cleared his throat.
But the woman just stared at him, making no move to cover up.
"Came to grab something."
Ak Muyoo went to the spring and picked up the liquor bottles.
"Keep doing what you were."
He gave her one last glance, then turned and left. The woman watched Ak Muyoo climb the stairs, then submerged herself in the spring.
"Oh!"
Ak Muyoo, ascending, looked back down at her. She lifted her head.
"Can you eat?"
He mimed eating with his hand.
"..."
The woman silently stared at him.
"If you're hungry or need to fart, let me know."
Ak Muyoo turned and went up.
The woman gazed at the water, cupped some in her palm, and brought it to her mouth.
But she couldn't swallow. The water dribbled down her chin.
She soon discarded it and focused on bathing again.
Meanwhile.
Ak Muyoo returned to the house front with the liquor. Yo Pung had even prepared cups.
Ak Muyoo poured.
"So, what brings Black Wind Captain here?"
Sun Woo Chang Cheon asked after downing his cup.
"Came to this house."
Ak Muyoo pointed at it.
He had no intention of mentioning the fight with the Huangbo Clan—or the five hundred corpses underground.
"This house?"
"It's Yo Pung's place."
Ak Muyoo indicated Yo Pung.
"Ah!"
Sun Woo Chang Cheon nodded.
"We rested up, so tomorrow we're heading back to join our group."
"Um... mind if I tag along?"
"Not going to find your own group?"
"With my condition, I'd just be a burden."
"We don't mind, but our situation isn't exactly leisurely."
"Something going on?"
"There's a bounty on this."
"Bounty hunters coming?"
"The bounty hunters are already here, and now Ju Jang-cheol's men are arriving."
"I'd burden that side too."
"Not what I meant. Our Wind Squad has almost no martial artists. Even one more would be a huge help to me. But you'd have a tough time."
"If that's the case, I'll join you."
"Thanks."
"No problem."
"How's the arm?"
"Not sure yet."
"Take good care of it. The desert's different from the Central Plains—if you neglect it, it'll rot fast."
He was thinking of Gun Cheokjeon's group.
"Will do. I should go meditate first."
Sun Woo Chang Cheon bid farewell and went inside. Ak Muyoo and Yo Pung slowly finished the remaining meat.
"Would be better without the smell."
Ak Muyoo said, eyeing the camel meat.
"It didn't stink from the start, right?"
Yo Pung asked.
"Yeah. Started just a bit ago."
"You're full, that's why."
"Is that it?"
"Yeah."
"Zabujong, want some?"
He held out meat to Zabujong.
Woof! Growl!
"If you're not eating, fine—why get pissy? You punk."
Ak Muyoo ate the meat.
"Didn't you say it stinks?"
Yo Pung said.
"Didn't say no either."
"True. Wasting food brings heavenly punishment."
Yo Pung refilled the cups.
They ate all the remaining meat, drained the liquor, then stood. They washed the pot, returned it, brushed with salt, and went to bed.
The next day.
The group rode camels westward. Before leaving, Ak Muyoo released one camel into the village.
"Why leave that camel?"
"There's a saying: an empty camel is ridden by someone."
"You're a full desert dweller now."
Yo Pung chuckled. The proverb meant empty spots get filled. Ak Muyoo used such desert sayings in daily life.
"Already ten years."
"Yeah. But you think someone's gonna ride that camel in the village?"
"Could be, or not."
"Perhaps..."
"Let's go. Hya!"
Ak Muyoo whipped the reins.
Ker-ugh!
The camel bellowed and dashed off.
After running a while, Ak Muyoo climbed a dune and looked back. Far behind, a single camel followed.
He urged his camel onward.