Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Muscles Surpass Inner Power
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Muscles Surpass Inner Power
Running without rest when fleeing is important, but rest is even more crucial.
Especially in the desert, pushing on without recovering stamina only breaks the body down faster, and your limits arrive in no time.
That was why Ak Muyoo took breaks every one hour. Of course, he didn't ride the camel. The only time he rode it was the first hour after departure. Once he put distance between him and the enemy, he dismounted immediately and ran using Mad Thousand Blood Steps and Savage Blood Demon Art. When he tired while running, he grabbed the camel's reins and let it drag him along. The sandy ground made it no problem. Once his stamina recovered, he resumed Mad Thousand Blood Steps and Savage Blood Demon Art.
By evening, the group had an oasis ahead. It was the first oasis since parting with Choyu.
"Wait here."
Ak Muyoo entered the oasis alone.
The desert seemed to have turned into a battlefield on all sides. Even the desert's unwritten rule of no fighting at oases meant nothing. Corpses littered the oasis here and there.
Several dead camels lay among them.
Ak Muyoo scanned the surroundings.
No one alive remained.
Then, something unusual caught his eye. It was iron chains.
"These look like the shackles prisoners wore on their ankles..."
He tilted his head.
The chains were about three feet long, and there were five of them.
"If they shackled his feet too, that means he was a serious criminal..."
He pocketed two of the chains.
"Come in!"
He cleared the corpses while shouting toward the oasis edge. Soon, Luha and Gun Cheokjeon's group entered. They tied the camels to trees and jumped straight into the water.
"Let's see."
Ak Muyoo went to a dead camel and drew his dagger, slicing into its flesh.
"Not bad."
The meat hadn't started rotting yet. He cut off as much as possible and set it aside before gathering wood to start a fire.
"What about this?"
Luha asked.
"Slice it thin and dry it overnight."
"Making jerky, huh."
"Yeah."
"Give me the knife."
"You'll do it?"
"I think I'm better at slicing."
"Here."
He handed her a dagger.
"This thing..."
Luha was startled by its considerable weight.
"It's a butcher knife."
"A bit heavy for that."
"Yeah, it is."
"I'll cut."
Luha sliced the meat swiftly. With each motion of the dagger, thin strips peeled off. She wasn't just skilled with bows; she had real swordsmanship too.
"Don't slice the pile I set aside. That's for roasting."
"Got it."
Luha quickly prepared the strips.
"You've got good martial arts."
Ak Muyoo smiled.
"Right?"
Luha gazed quietly at Ak Muyoo.
Then the others returned from washing.
"Cut those and roast them."
Ak Muyoo pointed to the camel meat he'd set aside.
"Meat today?"
Gun Cheokjeon said.
"Be grateful to the dead camel."
"We'll have it roasted, so go wash up."
"Got it."
Ak Muyoo nodded and headed to the lake. Luha followed again. He decided not to mind.
At the lake's edge, he laid out his belongings and stripped. Luha did the same beside him.
Holding their clothes, they entered the water.
They soaked the clothes and washed their hair, scrubbing off the blood. The stench of dried camel blood and entrails fluids wafted from their bodies.
It had crusted so badly they had to soak first before washing properly. Same for the clothes.
"Guess we should sit and soak."
Luha said.
"Yeah, I think so."
"Shall we sit?"
"Sure."
They sat side by side.
"Why'd you take the chains?"
Luha asked.
"The more I use footwork, the more I realized I can't do without chains."
"For the daggers?"
"Yeah."
"With chains on... it'd be terrifying."
"Not sure. But to balance properly, I think I need to let them hang free."
"Let them hang free... that's a cool way to put it."
Luha beamed.
For a moment, Ak Muyoo felt the area brighten. Truth be told, Luha had an amazing figure, but her face was far from peerless beauty. Just a bit above average. But her smile transformed it completely. Deep dimples and upturned lips blended perfectly, making her a stunning beauty. If they ranked women by their smiles, she'd top the list for sure.
"It's not my phrase. The dagger's owner said it."
"Who was the owner?"
"Name was Ma-cheon, but he's been dead so long I don't know much about him."
"I see. Ready to wash now?"
"Yeah."
They washed their hair first. Pouring water nonstop rinsed the blood easily.
Same for their bodies.
A quick scrub and they were clean.
"Turn around."
"Wanna wash my back?"
"Probably blood all over it."
Ak Muyoo turned. Luha washed his back thoroughly.
"More scars on your back."
"No eyes behind..."
"Heh, true. My turn."
Luha tapped Ak Muyoo's back lightly and turned. He reached for her back. His hand paused right before. He turned it to check his palm. Calluses thick as carved stone covered the joints, palm, and finger edges—numb even to a knife. The original skin color was gone, turned yellowish-brown.
Worried his hand felt like a rough rock, he hesitated. Might scratch her back.
"What?"
"This... my palm's like a rock. Might hurt your back."
"I like it rough."
"Huh?"
"Don't worry. Scrub away."
"Alright."
Ak Muyoo scrubbed Luha's body. His hand moved to her neck.
"Press hard."
"Like this?"
He pressed her muscles firmly.
"Feels good."
He kept massaging her neck, then moved down. Her skin was so soft, he felt bad scrubbing with his rough palm. It slid like oiled silk.
After bodies, they washed clothes.
As before, Luha did the laundry, naked without shame in front of him.
They dried the clean clothes with Triple Concentration Flame.
Dressed, they went to the campfire.
Gun Cheokjeon's group was roasting camel meat.
Fat dripped from the meat.
"Eat the done ones right away. If enemies show up on an empty stomach, you'll be too pissed to fight properly."
Ak Muyoo skewered meat for Luha, then ate some himself. Gun Cheokjeon's group started eating too.
"One drink would make this perfect."
So Daehwa said, tearing into meat.
"Drink?"
Ak Muyoo looked at So Daehwa.
His face was pale as paper. Shivering though it wasn't cold. Ak Muyoo knew the state from experience.
"Hold on."
Ak Muyoo stood, brushing sand off. He went to his camel, opened a leather pouch, took something, and returned.
"Here."
He handed the pouch to So Daehwa.
"What is it?"
"Border Wastelands brew—fermented camel milk. Sour, but decent."
"When'd you grab this?"
"Wasn't me. Already on the camel."
"Didn't you say keep camels light?"
"Generals ride, but I don't, so I can carry this much."
"Thanks."
So Daehwa took a sip.
"Kah! Good stuff."
He grimaced.
"Pair it with a bite of camel meat for perfection."
"Knew you'd say that."
So Daehwa grinned and tore into meat.
No salt, so bland, but the meat alone was delicious.
"You've got something to say?"
"Yeah."
So Daehwa placed his sword before Ak Muyoo.
"So General."
Gun Cheokjeon called in surprise.
"Where to deliver?"
Ak Muyoo asked.
"Southern Harmony Confucian Forest House."
"Home clan?"
"Yeah."
"Confucian house means they study literature over martial arts, right?"
"Right. My father despised martial arts. Always disapproved of his martial son."
"Fought a lot?"
"Yeah. I joined the army in a fit of anger after one fight."
"Such a filial son."
"Will you deliver it?"
"If I survive, definitely. No message?"
"Tell them I'm sorry."
"That's like driving a nail into your parents' hearts as last words."
"..."
"Tell them you loved unleashing martial arts freely, and you'd never have this happy life stuck in Beijing."
"Heh heh heh."
So Daehwa chuckled lowly.
"More?"
"Take out Joo Jang-cheol."
"I might burn his house, but killing him's impossible for me."
"Keep trying like now, and it's possible."
"I'm different from you."
"How?"
"No dantian."
"..."
Not just So Daehwa. Everyone stared at Ak Muyoo in shock.
"I learned I had no dantian twenty-five years ago but couldn't accept it. Now I know for sure."
Thanks to the inner pellets from Great Radiant Martial, Ma-cheon, and Mil-un. Combined, over a thousand years' worth of power. Yet no change in his body. Not even warmth.
"For real?"
"Yeah. Ate one recently, as you see."
Ak Muyoo raised his arms, flexing slightly side to side.
"Don't look like you've given up. Am I wrong?"
"You saw right. Not giving up. I'll keep struggling."
"If it doesn't work till the end?"
"Then what can I do."
"If all else fails, burn Joo Jang-cheol's house."
So Daehwa smiled brightly.
"That much I can do."
"Tired now. Help me over?"
"Sure."
Ak Muyoo supported So Daehwa. Looking around, he found a wind-sheltered spot with soft leaf litter. He laid him down there.
"What do you think martial artists need most to perform?"
So Daehwa asked, watching Ak Muyoo fetch a stone for his head.
"Sudden martial theory?"
Ak Muyoo asked puzzled.
"Answer."
"Inner power."
"To use inner power?"
"Meridians and muscles."
"Which is more important between meridians and muscles?"
"Both?"
"If you must pick one?"
"Muscles... what're you getting at?"
Ak Muyoo eyed So Daehwa.
"To prove martial arts beat literature to my father, I read countless martial theory books. Guess my conclusion."
"You're saying a warrior's strength isn't decided by inner power level, but muscle strength?"
"Huh?"
So Daehwa looked shocked at Ak Muyoo, then asked.
"How'd you know? You study it too?"
"Master said it."
—The unfinished talk from before.
—After disappointing me endlessly, you mumbled 'but'...
—Right.
—What?
—Know inner power has limits?
—First time hearing.
—It does.
—Stops growing after a point?
—Yes.
—How much?
—A warrior maxes at ten to fifteen years' worth.
—Fifteen's nearly a thousand years?
—Yep.
—Can't store more than a thousand?
—Body can't handle it.
—Why talk power to a dantian-less guy?
—Now the real point.
—...?
—Muscles surpass inner power.
"Muscles surpass inner power."
Ak Muyoo repeated his freak master's words.