Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: To the Azure Dragon Squad
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“B-bro… ther…”
I doubted my ears for a moment. My leg, poised to kick him again, froze midair as I looked down at the floor. Paeng Daesan, his face a mess of blood, tears, and snot, was staring up at me.
“I… was… wrong… Brother…”
He struggled to continue, reaching out with his bloodied hand to grasp at my pant leg.
What the hell?
I was baffled. I hadn’t hypnotized him. I hadn’t whispered any suggestions. So why was this guy suddenly acting like this?
Did the beatdown break his mind?
This was a first in my life. I’d read in books about cases where extreme rage and hatred could flip into worship or submission, but I never imagined witnessing it firsthand—especially from some spoiled brat of a great family.
It was so absurd I almost let out a hollow laugh.
As I stood there unresponsive, Paeng Daesan desperately began slamming his head against the ground.
Thud. Thud.
“This lowly one has committed a grave sin, Brother! I dared to be rude to your wife! Please, kill this wretch!”
Wife? Now he was calling even Soso his sister-in-law. He’d completely lost it. Unpredictable, like watching an insect twitch.
I was pondering how to handle this ridiculous situation when—
“Young master! Where are you?!”
“Found him! Over there!”
A few men carrying torches came rushing from the other end of the alley. Paeng Daesan’s entourage, by the look of them. They froze in shock at the sight of their bloodied young master collapsed on the ground and me standing over him.
“Y-you bastard! What have you done to the Paeng family young master?!”
The man in the lead bulged his eyes and drew his sword. He charged at me without a second thought.
But before he could move, Paeng Daesan bellowed from the ground.
“Stop, you fool!”
“Pardon? Young master?”
“How dare you draw your sword without knowing who this is! This is my brother! Sheathe that blade right now!”
The man’s shoulders twitched at Paeng Daesan’s shout, sword half-drawn. He looked back and forth between us, utterly baffled by the scene.
“Y-young master… This guy’s the one who did this to you…”
“Shut your mouth!”
Paeng Daesan roared again through bloodied lips.
“This is my brother! He was personally teaching me a lesson! This isn’t your place to interfere! Sheathe your sword and get lost!”
His entourage stared in stunned silence at the bizarre title of “brother” and the outburst that followed. They seriously wondered if their young master had lost his mind from the beating.
I had no desire to get further entangled with them. My goal was achieved anyway. I kicked Paeng Daesan’s fallen money pouch lightly back to his chest.
“……!”
At the mere return of that paltry sum, Paeng Daesan’s eyes widened as if overcome with gratitude.
With that, I turned away without a backward glance and headed to the inn. Leaving the damp, blood-scented alley behind, the lively glow of the inn welcomed me once more.
From behind, I heard Paeng Daesan frantically shouting something, but I pretended not to hear and kept walking.
“Senior Brother! Are you alright?!”
The moment I returned to the inn, Soso rushed over with a worried face, checking my clothes here and there. She didn’t know if I’d been the beater or the beaten, but she checked on me first. The coachman fidgeted anxiously nearby.
“I’m fine. Sit down. The food’s getting cold.”
I sat calmly as if nothing had happened and picked up my chopsticks. Soso still looked uneasy but obediently took her seat.
That was when—
Paeng Daesan staggered through the inn door. His entourage hovered outside, at a loss. With his face a bloody pulp, he bowed deeply toward our table.
“Brother! This lowly one failed to greet you properly!”
All eyes in the inn turned back to us. One side: a pristine physician. The other: the Paeng family young master with a mangled face. And that young master bowing to the physician, calling him “Brother.” The bizarre scene had everyone whispering and speculating wildly.
I ignored him completely. I just picked up a greasy chicken leg and placed it in Soso’s bowl.
“Soso, eat up. You’ve had a tough journey.”
“Y-yes, Senior Brother…”
Soso glanced warily at Paeng Daesan as she took the chicken leg.
Paeng Daesan didn’t mind being treated like air. He stood right by our table, clutching a clean cloth he’d procured from somewhere.
“Brother, is there anything inconvenient about your meal? Your cup’s empty. May this lowly one pour you a drink?”
He deftly tried to refill my cup. I waved him off irritably, but he paid no heed.
“Then at least for your wife…”
“S-Senior Brother… why is that guy acting like this…?”
Soso whispered to me in a frightened little voice. Suddenly being called “ wife” had her visibly flustered.
“Don’t mind him. He’s just a mad dog.”
My voice was low, but it clearly reached Paeng Daesan’s ears. He flinched but soon grinned broadly and nodded.
“You’re right, Brother! I’m your dog! Use me as you please!”
The absurdity made me pause my chopsticks for a moment. The guy was truly unhinged.
The meal continued in this eerie atmosphere. I only spoke to the coachman and Soso, while Paeng Daesan hovered around, seeking chances to serve. Amid his constant fawning chatter, which I let in one ear and out the other, an intriguing phrase caught my attention.
“…This lowly one originally belongs to the Murim Alliance’s Azure Dragon Squad, and if I’m late for tomorrow morning’s roll call, the Squad Leader will reprimand me…”
My chopsticks hesitated for a split second.
Azure Dragon Squad?
The very reason I’d left the Healer Immortal Sect to evade Cheonha Young and the Black Elder—heading to the Murim Alliance—was to be dispatched as a physician to the Azure Dragon Squad.
And this mad dog claimed to be part of it.
I swallowed a wry smile inwardly. What a ridiculously convenient coincidence. It was as if events always conspired to push me forward.
I resumed eating as if unperturbed.
Near the end of the meal, I called the coachman aside.
“You’ve had a hard time of it. This is a small token of my appreciation—please take it.”
I pressed a hefty money pouch into his hand. He waved it off, saying he’d already been paid enough, but I forced it into his pocket. Our strange journey ended there. The coachman bowed repeatedly in thanks before departing with reluctant steps.
Now, only Soso, I, and Paeng Daesan—who still lingered like a dog—remained in front of the inn.
For the first time, I looked straight at Paeng Daesan. Meeting my gaze, he straightened up as if deeply honored.
“You said you’re with the Azure Dragon Squad.”
“Yes, Brother! This Paeng Daesan serves as a lowly member of the Murim Alliance’s Azure Dragon Squad!”
Pride swelled in his voice.
“Perfect.”
I said curtly.
“Lead the way. Right now.”
It was a command. Joy spread across Paeng Daesan’s face.
“Yes, sir! Follow this Paeng Daesan, Brother! I’ll escort you and your wife safely!”
Paeng Daesan took the lead, his steps surprisingly spry despite his facial wounds.
Under his guidance, we reached the Murim Alliance’s main gate—an overwhelming sight. Towering walls that pierced the heavens, a grand portal. The sheer aura from the countless warriors passing through made the air feel heavy.
“Welcome to the Murim Alliance. State your purpose.”
The gate guards’ eyes were sharp. Their gazes swept over me and Soso in physician robes, and the bloodied Paeng Daesan bowing ahead of us, brimming with suspicion.
Paeng Daesan stepped forward proudly.
“I am Paeng Daesan of the Paeng family! A member of the Azure Dragon Squad, escorting these two esteemed physicians…”
“The Azure Dragon Squad sector is off-limits to all but authorized personnel.”
The guard cut him off coldly. Neither the Paeng name nor Azure Dragon Squad meant anything to him.
Paeng Daesan’s face fell awkwardly.
I shoved him aside and stepped forward, pulling two scrolls from my bosom and handing them to the guard. One was the temporary dispatch letter from the Healer Immortal Sect, given to me by my master Im Hyehyang before I left for the Murim Alliance. The other was the official Murim Alliance letter I’d received upon arriving at the sect, requesting a physician for the Azure Dragon Squad.
The guard’s eyes flickered subtly as he took them. He scrutinized the seals of the Healer Immortal Sect and the Murim Alliance headquarters multiple times before bowing respectfully.
“My apologies, Physician. It was a routine identity check—please forgive us. By all means, proceed.”
He stepped aside. Without a word, I took Soso’s hand and entered the massive gate. Paeng Daesan shrugged his shoulders and scurried after me.
Beyond the gate lay a vast city. Buildings divided by districts, shouts of warriors and clashing weapons echoing from all sides. The tense air underscored that this was the heart of the martial world.
“Brother! This way! The Azure Dragon Squad barracks are over there!”
Paeng Daesan bounded ahead excitedly, trying to explain everything like a tour guide, but I gave no response.
After a long walk, we arrived at a building emblazoned with a blue dragon emblem, exuding an intimidating presence.
“Brother, this is the Azure Dragon Squad—”
Bang!
The heavy door burst open from within, and a massive man silhouetted against the spilling light emerged. Taller than any grown man by a head, with a greatsword strapped to his back as thick as a torso.
He spotted us and scanned us up and down with tiger-like eyes.
“And what the hell are you lot?”