Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Firm Ground After Rain (10)
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A girl with her white hair neatly tied back, dressed in black martial robes. Seolhwa sat cross-legged, focusing her mind. Soon, a blue energy began flowing from her body.
It resembled azure flames engulfing Seolhwa. Yet her expression remained utterly serene. Nameless, watching from nearby, breathed a silent sigh of relief.
Fortunately, she seemed able to concentrate fully on her meditation without any issues. According to Yi Cheongu's diagnosis, Seolhwa's mere survival was already a miracle due to the poison qi ravaging her body.
Even if she managed to live on without removing it, a year at most would be her limit. But the real problem was that the poison qi, firmly rooted in her dantian, was beyond even a skilled physician's ability to touch.
'In all my years treating countless patients... this is the first time I've seen so much poison qi entrenched in a dantian. That's why she could avoid my eyes during the initial exam.'
Normally, such a buildup would cause agonizing pain or visible distress. But Seolhwa appeared perfectly fine on the outside, so much so that Nameless hadn't even imagined it until he was told.
"A blessing in disguise, indeed."
"You're right. Without Master's cultivation method, Seolhwa wouldn't have survived."
"It was just good fortune."
But even that lethal poison qi was now little more than a premium elixir for the current Seolhwa. Through meditation, she was using the poison in her dantian as fuel to build her internal energy.
The speed was comparable to the famed inner pellet techniques boasted by Shaolin or Wudang. Of course, her poison qi wasn't infinite. It was simply accumulating at an extraordinarily rapid rate.
The human body inevitably accumulates toxins, great and small. But Seolhwa's had built up dozens of times faster than a normal person's due to all she'd ingested so far.
Even that would eventually burn away completely someday. Once it did, Seolhwa could live like an ordinary human. Though whether her wits would hold up was another question.
"It's all over now, right?"
Moyong Sua, who had settled right beside Nameless, looked up at him. Her short brown hair shifted to the side. Nameless nodded in response.
"She's crossed one hurdle, at least."
"Was it really because of that Demonic Cult?"
"Yes. Since they've already crossed paths with us, they won't let it slide."
"...Then we'll have no choice but to get even stronger."
The bloody battle from the night before flashed through Sua's mind, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. True, they'd been obliterated by Master's single strike, but that was just bad luck for them.
The coordination and martial prowess they'd displayed were in no way inferior to the Moyong Clan's warriors. Proof of that: in yesterday's fight, Sua hadn't even managed a single stance, let alone thrust her sword.
She'd spent nearly a month diligently training under Master, drawing ever closer to first-rate. Yet she still hadn't reached it.
But as the Moyong Clan's once-in-a-generation prodigy and monster genius, Sua had grasped the full terror of the Black Death Squad's formation the moment she saw it unfold last night.
'I have to admit it. Yesterday, I was useless to Master.'
If Sua had forced her way into that melee, she'd have lost more than an arm. Those weren't men who hesitated to kill.
'If I stick with Master from now on, I'll have to fight those Demonic Cult scum.'
And the ones from yesterday weren't even the Demonic Cult's main force. Traveling with Master would inevitably pit her against far stronger foes.
'I have to get stronger than this.'
"Master...!!"
"Looks like her meditation's done."
But her resolute vow melted away like midsummer frost the instant teary-faced Seolhwa finished and threw herself into Master's arms.
"This was way harder than before! And it stinks weird too!"
"That's the residue from the burning process leaving your body."
"I wanna wash up! I wanna bathe!"
"...Hey, Little Sister Seolhwa. Aren't you being a bit too spoiled?"
It was good that she trusted Master after last night's events. But the downside was her little sister act ramping up too much. Irritating as it was to watch, Sua knew Seolhwa's circumstances all too well—and understood the urge to cling.
So Sua swallowed her annoyance and settled for scolding her.
Or rather, she tried to. Until Seolhwa ignored her and planted a kiss on Master's cheek. That snapped something in Sua's head.
"Little Sister... come to think of it, we haven't sparred lately, have we?"
"Spar? You'll spar with me, Big Sis?"
"Of course."
Was it because her mind was still childlike? Seeing sparring as mere playtime, Seolhwa's eyes lit up as she hopped down from Nameless's lap. Nameless hesitated briefly.
Even a fool could see the murderous glint in Sua's eyes—enough to kill. Yet oblivious Seolhwa noticed nothing.
But it wouldn't end like last time. Of that much, he was certain. So Nameless chose to trust her.
No matter what anyone said.
Sua was the very first disciple he'd taken.
"It's not over yet—pick up your weapon!"
"B-Big Sis... your face is scary..."
"I'll teach you some manners!"
"Master!!!"
And Nameless's trust shattered in less than half a gak. Not as badly as before, but Sua's strictness was still excessive.
Even Seolhwa, who laughed off most spars, was on the verge of tears looking to Nameless. Unable to ignore it, he had to stop the match.
Thankfully, he had a good excuse: help rebuild the village damage and have Yi Cheongu recheck Seolhwa's condition.
"Understood, Master."
Surprisingly, Sua backed down without protest. Before she could change her mind, Nameless led his disciples down to the village. Not that there was much to do there, really.
Cleaning up the mess wasn't as hard as expected. Few houses had burned completely, and miraculously, no one had died.
The Black Death Squad had sought information through torture. The key to torture was keeping the victim alive as long as possible amid the pain.
So fire damage concentrated on stables, haystacks in yards—anywhere but occupied homes. Thus, the miracle of zero fatalities.
Only Physician Yi Cheongu had suffered badly. They'd gone straight for him first. Both his hands were mangled.
He'd even lost two fingers on his left. Considering the foes, surviving was heavenly luck—but cold comfort.
"Still, Yi Cheongu held to his honor till the end. A man of conviction and grit."
"That's why Master visits him daily."
"Shouldn't we repay the loyalty he kept at the cost of two fingers?"
"I wanna eat something in the village, Master!"
"Sure, sure. Let's grab meals here too."
Nothing special. Chat with Yi Cheongu, wander the village for food. Like a casual outing.
Until they spotted the dozens of horses tied at the village entrance. Good horses were priceless back then—still were.
Military steeds, over ten of them, stood there. Eyes naturally turned that way. Sua spoke up.
"Demonic Cult, maybe?"
"Doesn't seem so."
He hadn't met them yet, but Demonic Cultists rarely bothered with face. Thinking of face would've kept them from demonic arts in the first place.
These had over ten horses, plus a banner reading "Lian." Definitely not Demonic Cult, he judged—and he was right.
But as Nameless spotted the group...
They spotted him. Soon, a woman with alluring black hair stepped forward toward him.
"...Greetings, Great Hero. If I may ask... what is your name?"
"Nameless."
"What a coincidence... It matches my father's name exactly."
Her bolt-from-the-blue words fixed Sua and Seolhwa's stares on Nameless. Faced with their emotionless, corpse-pupil gazes, he smiled.
Who knew lightning from a clear sky was real.
He'd had no idea—until it struck him.