Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: From Enemy to Ally
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The day broke.
As soon as Heuk Do-san woke up, he surveyed his surroundings.
Morning sunlight bathed everything around him, illuminating people sprawled out asleep everywhere. The only one awake was Dang Yak-ran, diligently working on something by herself.
"You're awake?"
"The Blood Wolves?"
"They vanished last night and haven't shown up since."
"The scouts too?"
"They pulled back around dawn."
He turned his head to gaze at the forest.
It was strange. If they were going to ambush, there was no better time than the pre-dawn hours when everyone was deep in sleep. And they even had wounded among them.
Yet not only had the enemy not attacked—they had all disappeared as if nothing had happened.
The white wolf he had seen last night didn't seem like the type to give up so easily. He had no concrete evidence, but his gut told him so.
Heuk Do-san trusted the intuition honed from his long experience more than any visible proof.
'What the hell are they up to?'
Turning absentmindedly, Heuk Do-san spotted someone lying beyond the campfire. A stone axe rested on his left shoulder, arms spread wide, dead to the world—like someone had scrawled a dog radical on the ground.
"What's that?"
"Yeom Jin-sang."
"Who do you think I don't know is Yeom Jin-sang?"
"He stood watch with me last."
"That's standing watch?"
"He was nodding off, so I told him to just sleep. Said he'd wake me if he sensed any strange energy."
"Gong Cheon-ak would blow a fuse if he knew."
"He didn't say a word."
"Gong Cheon-ak saw him?"
"About half a shichen ago? He got up briefly to check the perimeter and spotted Yeom Jin-sang passed out then."
"And?"
"He called him useless trash, kicked him in the head once, and went back to sleep. Yeom Jin-sang didn't even wake up. Must've been exhausted."
"......"
They had paired up in twos for watch precisely because they still didn't fully trust each other. One righteous faction member with one Demonic Cultist, that way no one could slit throats while the other slept.
Yet Gong Cheon-ak had let it slide.
'His guard is completely down.'
It was a change that had come after last night's battle with the Blood Wolves. He still bickered with Hyeon-gak, but at least now he believed no one would ambush him in his sleep.
Bit by bit, without realizing it, they were shifting from enemies to comrades.
'Not sure if that's good or bad.'
Heuk Do-san pulled out his ten-li spyglass and climbed the hillside. He scanned the vast forest stretching below the cliff. It still undulated like waves.
Somewhere down there were the North Martial artists. Righteous or Demonic, he couldn't tell yet. Their fate—and the rest of this journey—depended on who they were.
In the worst case, it could mean life or death. And yet here they were, sleeping like logs...
Heuk Do-san tucked the spyglass away. That's when he suddenly felt his waistband was empty.
'My sword's gone.'
Startled, he whipped around and scanned the area. Maybe it had fallen while he slept.
"Looking for this?"
Dang Yak-ran said.
Heuk Do-san widened his eyes.
She was holding his sword and whittling a tree branch with it.
"Why do you have my sword?"
"Borrowed it while you were sleeping."
"That's not borrowing!"
"I'll give it back soon."
"Give it back now!"
"Just a bit longer. Almost done."
Heuk Do-san pressed her excitedly, but Dang Yak-ran brushed it off casually.
He was flabbergasted, words failing him.
"Done."
Moments later, Dang Yak-ran shook off her hands and stood. She thrust the sword and what she'd made right in front of Heuk Do-san's eyes.
"What's this?"
"Arrows, obviously."
"Who doesn't know they're arrows?"
"Got bored staying up alone, so I made some from the leftover bamboo. Over a shichen and only ten of them."
So that's what she'd been doing.
That's why she'd taken the sword.
"Not gonna take them?"
Heuk Do-san awkwardly accepted the arrows.
The white shafts, peeled clean, were crudely made. Eagle feathers ragged, arrowheads sharpened but overly long.
The balance was off—they'd veer off course easily.
"How are they?"
Dang Yak-ran asked, face flushed with anticipation.
"Terrible."
Her face fell instantly. After staying up all night, dark circles under her eyes, head bowed pitifully.
"Well, usable enough, I suppose."
"Really?"
"Wake everyone. We need to cross the forest before sunset."
"Yes!"
Dang Yak-ran perked up like a sprout in rain and roused the others.
Heuk Do-san watched her quietly.
Her beaming smile made something swell in his chest. His heart even fluttered a bit.
'What is this?'
* * *
Descending the cliff, the group resumed crossing the forest.
In woods full of nothing but white sandalwood trees, Heuk Do-san navigated flawlessly by branch growth and moss patterns.
Conditions were better today than before.
Thirsty? Slash the bark, plug with a conch shell, drink the sap. Plenty of Blood Wolf meat packed from last night solved food. Furs warded off the cold.
Yet for some reason, they weren't making good time. By past noon, after another shichen, disaster struck.
"Damn it, let's rest a bit."
Yeom Jin-sang said.
Heuk Do-san halted. He raised his qi sense and scanned around, checking for Blood Wolves.
"No Blood Wolves."
Bing-seol said.
"Sure?"
"My perception differs from yours, but it's more precise."
"How far can you sense?"
"Relative to the lifeform's energy—can't say exactly. But nothing within ten li."
Heuk Do-san finally relaxed and looked at the group. First to catch his eye: Yeom Jin-sang.
His condition was dire. Pus oozed thickly from the wound bandaged with sandalwood bark.
He'd been groaning, so he knew it was bad, but not this bad.
"Forced march made the wound fester."
Dang Yak-ran said.
"Treatment?"
"Problem's his side. Need to cauterize it now—heat metal and sear it. Otherwise, infection could rot his guts."
At "rot his guts," Yeom Jin-sang's eyes bulged. But that was later; right now, exhaustion threatened to kill him first.
"Aw, hell with it."
Yeom Jin-sang flopped down spread-eagled. Up to you whether to leave or trample him.
"One more thing."
Dang Yak-ran glanced sideways at Hyeon-gak.
Heuk Do-san turned to him late. Hyeon-gak was unscathed from last night's fight.
Yet his face was pale, forehead beaded with sweat like chicken droppings. Saliva dribbling from his mouth was especially ominous.
"What's wrong with him?"
"No idea."
"When did it start?"
"About a daekyeong ago."
"Check his pulse."
Dang Yak-ran examined him closely—pulse, eyes rolled back, fussing about. Soon her face hardened.
"What's wrong?"
"Poisoned, looks like."
"Poison?"
"Heat boiling from inside—internal organs convulsing. Means he ingested poison..."
Everyone was baffled.
Only Blood Wolf meat last night. No poison there, and Hyeon-gak hadn't even touched it.
How and what poison? Sneaked something alone?
"What the hell did you eat?"
Gong Cheon-ak snapped irritably.
"What'd I eat? Nothing!"
"Didn't you hear? Poison."
"Don't frame the innocent. I'm clean."
"Who said you ate something? We need to know what to figure treatment."
"I told you, nothing!"
"Maybe snuck into the woods alone while we slept and scarfed random berries?"
"You know we stood watch together. Then Yeom Jin-sang and that girl. Someone would've seen me go."
Eyes naturally turned to Dang Yak-ran and Yeom Jin-sang. He was out cold early, knew nothing. He licked his lips and looked at her instead.
"He never woke once."
Dang Yak-ran defended Hyeon-gak.
"Hmph."
Gong Cheon-ak smacked his lips.
Infuriating.
Healer says poison from eating something toxic, but the guy insists he ate nothing.
What kind of nonsense was this?
"Can't burn it out with internal energy?"
Heuk Do-san asked.
"Last ate seaweed scraps on the ship—starving three days since. Fought Blood Wolves last night, poured all remaining qi into him."
Dang Yak-ran glanced at Bing-seol.
Spotlight swung back to her.
Bing-seol looked lost.
"So what?"
"No qi left now. Force it, and he'll collapse like last night. Could be fatal."
"How long can he hold?"
"Fever's raging. Strip him—whole body's blooming heat rash. Delay, and organs melt."
Still half a day to North Martial folk. One with rotting guts, one melting. True bind.
"Damn it."
"There is one way..."
"What?"
"Saw Snow Noble Grass on the way."
"Snow Noble Grass?"
"Heals internal injuries, great antidote too. Mild toxin—juice it quick, might expel the poison."
"Why not pick it then?"
"Didn't know he was poisoned."
"How far back?"
"Ten li? Meanwhile, water from someone else could neutralize it temporarily."
"I'll do it."
Bing-seol brightened.
Heuk Do-san hesitated. Ten li—full daekyeong back. Only Dang Yak-ran could identify it. She had to go.
But alone in Blood Wolf ambush woods? Suicide.
No choice.
"Dang Yak-ran and I fetch the grass. Gong Cheon-ak treats Yeom Jin-sang. Bing-seol gathers sandalwood sap for Hyeon-gak, as said."
With that, he gave Gong Cheon-ak the spyglass and dagger, Bing-seol the conch shells.
Spyglass and dagger to make fire, heat blade, cauterize. Conches for sap to Hyeon-gak.
Gong Cheon-ak and Yeom Jin-sang got it, handed their conches to Bing-seol too.
"Let's go."
Heuk Do-san said to Dang Yak-ran.
But she wavered. Leave, and Hyeon-gak alone with Demonic Cultists.
First time since drifting. And defenseless now—even a child could kill him.
Sure, needed him alive for Bing-seol's qi infusions awhile.
But with Heavenly Demon Divine Cult sorceries, who knew Gong Cheon-ak's intentions.
Then Bing-seol's sound transmission in her mind.
[Don't worry.]
Dang Yak-ran looked at her quietly. Faint smile on Bing-seol's lips. Strangely familiar.
Strangers since stranding, yet that smile felt like an old friend's.
Warmth. Human warmth.
Dang Yak-ran pulled out her conch and gave it to Bing-seol. Another transmission.
[Be careful.]
She nodded lightly and turned. To Heuk Do-san:
"Let's go now."