Chapter 24: Consuming the Elixir (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 24: Consuming the Elixir (2)
Mok Yi-gun suddenly looked at me with a chilling gaze and spoke.
"Well, even a Great Arch-Demon wouldn't dare show his face before us. Besides, the great sects of Sichuan are lined up; there’s no reason for us to be at the very front."
This guy. He keeps dodging the point. It’s suspicious.
It was bound to be a dangerous group.
"Who exactly is this group we need to subjugate?"
Mok Yi-gun hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth.
"It seems the Blood Lamas from the Blood Flame Temple have entered Sichuan. As they moved in, they wiped out several small-to-medium sects that resisted them. The Murim Alliance is in an absolute uproar."
"The Blood Flame Temple?"
I was genuinely startled.
The Blood Flame Temple was a place crawling with Blood Lamas whose infamy echoed even throughout Sichuan. Occasionally, a few of them would cross into the province and stir up trouble, making them objects of pure terror.
"Why did the Blood Lamas come to Sichuan?"
Mok Yi-gun shook his head.
"That’s beyond our knowledge. Perhaps the Emei Sect, the Qingcheng Sect, the Tang Clan, or the great martial families of Sichuan might know. How could a rising sect like ours be privy to such information?"
Tsk! Even so, despite being a rising sect, Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress was packed with experts. He was basically telling us "small fries" to go out there and act as meat shields.
Though Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress was new, it had recently used its massive wealth to recruit numerous experts. Furthermore, through the recent martial arts contest, they had brought in so many warriors that they had become the strongest martial force in the vicinity.
Moreover, Mok Gal-jin was a peak master ranked among the Top Hundred Experts of the Murim, and the Sword Palace Squad he had raised had grown into a formidable combat unit over the past few years.
It seemed they were worried that revealing their elite forces would make other sects wary of them.
Mok Yi-gun spoke in a subtle, persuasive tone.
"It’s truly embarrassing for me to say this, but who is the Silent Star Throwing Sword, the Red Sword Hero, Young Hero Eo? Are you not a hero who looks toward the heights while dwelling in the shadows? Honestly, even mentioning money to you feels like an insult, and it weighs heavily on my heart. Everyone says with one voice that if it’s Young Hero Eo, he would surely set out immediately without even accepting a single coin."
Which crazy bastard said that? I’ll rip his mouth wide open.
And why wouldn't I take the money?
As I flinched, Mok Yi-gun’s eyes rippled like a wriggling loach. It was a dangerous signal.
But did he think I’d fall for that?
"How could I possibly dare to join such a prestigious rank? There are many experts in Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress with far greater abilities than mine. Please, recommend one of them instead."
When I feigned humility and declined, Mok Yi-gun’s eyebrows twitched like a toad.
"Hmm, that’s problematic. Actually, several experts recommended you personally."
Huh? Who? Which lunatic?
"Who exactly?"
"It was the Ice Jade Ice Sword."
Dammit! That crazy bastard? No, that crazy bitch.
Talking nonsense that’ll get a man killed. See if I ever associate with her again.
Hmph! Did you think I couldn't wiggle out of even this?
I had an endless supply of excuses.
"As the Lord knows, even if I consume the Solar Golden Elixir, there’s no guarantee I can drive out the yin energy of the White Horse Ten Canes overnight. It will take at least a full month. Therefore, I believe it would be right to find someone more suitable."
"If that issue is resolved, will you go?"
Did he think I was such a novice that I wouldn't know even that?
Turning an elixir into internal energy was no easy feat, and using that elixir to drive out yin energy that had invaded the body was even harder. Even with an expert’s help, it wasn't something that could be done in a day or two.
"Well, if my body recovers, I have no reason to refuse."
Internally, I gloated, thinking Mok Yi-gun had fallen for my trick.
"As expected of the Silent Star Throwing Sword, the Red Sword Hero, Eo Ja-seo."
With a face half-filled with admiration and half with relief, Mok Yi-gun nodded.
Strange. He should be looking troubled right now.
If I said it would take a month to drive out the yin energy with the elixir, the warriors from the great sects would have already driven out the Blood Lamas by then. I had no reason to worry.
Mok Yi-gun stood up and spoke.
"If my father helps you, one day will be more than enough."
Ack! Who? Old man Mok Gal-jin?
In my haste, I waved my hands frantically.
"There’s no need to go that far..."
"What are you saying? How could I not help when your chivalrous spirit drives you to drive out the Blood Lamas? My father also knows of your righteous resolve and has promised to personally help you recover your internal energy."
No, this isn't how it was supposed to go.
"I think we should reconsider this matter..."
Mok Yi-gun stood up abruptly and shouted toward the door.
"Go at once and announce that Young Hero Eo has been appointed as the leader of this Demon Subjugation Group!"
My breath hitched. He was making a public announcement; there was no way out now.
I’ve been played. I’ve been completely outfoxed by this snake with a fox’s tail.
As my face turned pale, Mok Yi-gun asked in a worried tone.
"Young Hero Eo, are you alright? Are you in pain?"
"Ah! The yin energy is suddenly acting up."
Looking at Mok Yi-gun’s eyes sent a chill through my gut. I couldn't stand the sight of him, so I used the excuse of the yin energy acting up to leave his quarters.
"I shall take my leave now. The yin energy has been particularly rampant lately. My body just won't follow my will."
As I played up my misery, Mok Yi-gun nodded deeply.
"That is why you must take the elixir and receive my father’s help. I have already requested him to help you absorb the elixir and recover your internal energy tonight. So, just prepare yourself mentally. We must finish all preparations and have our Demon Subjugation Group depart within a few days. It would hurt our prestige if we were slower than the other sects. I will notify you if there are any further details."
My head throbbed at those words.
"I’m leaving now."
However, Mok Yi-gun stopped me again.
"Wait just a moment. Dang Ja-seong and Dang Bin from the Tang Clan wish to ask a few questions regarding the assassin and the Blood Dropper, so please give them a few words before you go."
Mok Yi-gun gave orders to send word to Dang Ja-seong and Dang Bin.
As I repeatedly sat down and stood up, the gas I had been holding back began to riot in my stomach. I had endured it several times because I was in front of the Lord, but now I didn't even have the strength left in my sphincter to hold it.
Fearing I might actually have an accident, I asked for permission.
"Lord, I need to step outside for a moment."
Mok Yi-gun nodded.
"Go ahead."
I stood up to go outside and release the gas filling my gut.
"Lord, the guests from the Tang Clan have arrived."
So fast?
They couldn't have arrived this quickly unless they had been waiting right outside. I realized I had overlooked the fact that they were experts. I had forgotten that if they wanted to move fast, they could be here in an instant.
Dammit, I’m going to blow right now.
"Tell them to enter."
Thinking it wouldn't be right to greet Dang Ja-seong and Dang Bin while sitting, Mok Yi-gun stood up.
Creak—
The door opened, and a man and a woman entered the room.
Looking at Dang Ja-seong in the lead, the word 'aura' naturally came to mind. I felt as if a light was radiating from his body. His exquisite elegance and appearance made me think, So this is what a child of a prestigious family looks like.
As expected of a wealthy clan, he reeks of money spent since childhood.
That flawless white skin was likely the result of being fed elixirs since he was a babe. To have internal energy so pure that his eyes sparkled like embedded jewels, he must have undergone a Marrow Cleansing. And those fluttering robes were probably made of fabrics I’d never even heard of.
Whenever I saw guys like this, a sense of inferiority would bubble up, making it impossible to look at them kindly.
Then, I looked at Dang Bin, who followed behind him, and felt my breath catch. No matter how much I had a heart of steel that viewed beauties like paintings, Dang Bin was on a different level. She truly deserved the title of Sichuan’s Number One Beauty.
But that only lasted a moment. Over ten years of training couldn't be for nothing. I had learned from the courtesans Chun Mi and Wol Hwa that the shorter your gaze lingers on a beauty, the more you gain her favor.
I quickly averted my eyes from Dang Bin and cupped my fists toward Dang Ja-seong.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Eo Ja-seo."
"I am Dang Ja-seong."
His tone reeked of arrogance. Well, children of prestigious families were known for their extraordinary pride, having lived lives where others looked up to them.
If it were the old me, just meeting such experts would have made my knees knock and my bladder leak. But I was a man who had met even the Phoenix King; I wasn't about to be intimidated by these small-timers. Maybe if it were the Murim Alliance Leader, but not them.
"I am Dang Bin."
Dang Bin also greeted me, cupping her dainty white hands.
But the moment I heard Dang Bin’s voice, I felt the strength drain from my lower body. Her voice was remarkably similar to Mok Seon-hwa’s.
Puuuuuuung!
In the split second I wondered if she might be Mok Seon-hwa in disguise, I ended up letting out a thunderous, magnificent fart.
Gasp!
Mok Yi-gun suddenly threw the door wide open and barked.
"Young Hero Eo! What kind of rudeness is this toward Lady Dang Bin?"
My face flushed crimson as I stole a glance at the two. Dang Ja-seong had his head lowered, and Dang Bin’s face had turned as red as a carrot.
Dang Ja-seong’s shoulders were shaking. I thought he was trembling with rage and felt a slight chill. It was understandable to be angry after having a pungent fart blasted at them during a greeting.
In this situation, there weren't many excuses to make, but my tongue, which had reached the peak of its craft, began to wag smoothly.
"It seems that seeing a beauty like Lady Dang Bin for the first time in my life caused my strength to simply fail me. I have committed a great rudeness."
"Pwahahaha!"
Dang Ja-seong, whose shoulders had been shaking, burst into a grand laughter. As it turned out, he had been shaking because he was holding back his laughter.
"I had heard that Brother Eo was an interesting person, but I didn't know you were this delightful."
Dang Bin remained standing there, her face still flushed.
"In all my life, I have never seen someone greet my sister with a fart. It is a very entertaining greeting. Don't you think so, Bin?"
Having regained some composure, Dang Bin spoke softly.
"It is alright. I suppose your stomach must be upset."
It was clear she was trying her best to endure it.
Thinking this wouldn't do, I bowed deeply from the waist and cupped my fists again.
"I am truly sorr-hoooooooonk!"
Once the gate of my foolish anus had been opened, the gas began to leak out uncontrollably. I had clearly intended to say "I am truly sorry," but the fart that leaked out at the end made the apology sound ridiculous.
"Pwahahaha! 'Sorr-hoooooooonk,' he says! Bin!"
Dang Ja-seong was too busy laughing to care about my embarrassment.
Mok Yi-gun tried to salvage the situation.
"Now, now, let’s not just stand here. Let’s sit and talk."
As everyone sat down, I tried to slide into my seat, but the strength holding my sphincter failed again.
Riiiiiiiiip!
A loud, tearing sound erupted.
Mok Yi-gun cleared his throat and stood up.
"Haha, it seems I should open the window."
Even though the door and window were open, the pungent smell of the fart didn't dissipate easily.
Dang Ja-seong looked at me with a still-laughing face and said, "I have studied our clan’s poisons for a long time, but I never imagined there could be a poison emitted from the human body. Having witnessed a human personally venting poison today, I must reflect on this and study poisons even more diligently from now on."
It could have been offensive depending on how you heard it, but from Dang Ja-seong’s perspective, it seemed he was trying to lighten the atmosphere.
I responded with a smile.
"I am taking medicine to treat the White Horse Ten Canes' poison from the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon, and it seems to be accompanied by these terrible farts."
"Oh, it must be Lady Chong’s work. Is not Brother Eo’s vitality all thanks to her?"
"It is indeed all thanks to Lady Chong."
"In any case, I feel as though I’ve witnessed something truly rare in my life."
The atmosphere had actually improved thanks to the fart. Even if I had earned Dang Bin’s ire, gaining the favor of someone like Dang Ja-seong was something money couldn't buy.
"By the way, Brother Eo, what do you think of my sister’s beauty?"
I was flustered by the sudden question asked with a smiling face.
Seriously, these rich kids never think about others and just put them in awkward spots.
My favor toward Dang Ja-seong vanished instantly at that question.
"She is a beauty, just as the rumors say. However, it must be quite inconvenient. The more fragrant a flower, the more bees and butterflies it attracts. I imagine it is the same for Lady Dang Bin."
"Exactly!"
Dang Ja-seong slapped his knee in agreement.
"You hit the nail on the head, Brother Eo. My sister gives me such a headache."
Contrary to his delicate appearance, Dang Ja-seong seemed to have a very boisterous personality. His way of speaking was quite masculine.
"Then, what should be done to keep the bees and butterflies away?"
Dang Ja-seong had forgotten the purpose of his visit and was asking me all sorts of things.
"Is that not a simple principle? One just needs to hide the fragrance. If she covers her face with a veil, won't the fragrance become subtle? I’ve heard that the Three Flowers of Murim all cover their faces with veils, and Lady Dang Bin certainly seems qualified to do the same."
I subtly shifted to informal speech with Dang Ja-seong. Such things only worked without trouble when there was mutual favor.
"Thank you for your kind words."
Dang Bin bowed her head slightly toward me.
Seeing that, Dang Ja-seong laughed.
"Oh? This is the first time I’ve seen Bin say thank you after hearing someone praise her beauty. What is going on here?"
Dang Ja-seong even teased his sister.
As Dang Bin glared at Dang Ja-seong with a flushed face, I changed the subject.
"I believe the greetings are sufficient. Young Hero Dang Ja-seong, why did you wish to see me?"
As I skillfully took control of the atmosphere, Dang Ja-seong’s eyes sparkled as he looked at me.
"It’s nothing else, but I wanted to know if you caught even a glimpse of the face of the hidden-weapon master who threw the Blood Dropper."
Until now, this matter had weighed on my mind a bit, but since no one had asked, I had let it pass. It wasn't something I needed to worry about. But now that he asked, I found myself short of an answer.
"Because I struck down the hidden weapon in an instant, I was unable to confirm the master’s face."
Dang Ja-seong nodded.
"Actually, that isn't a big problem. Most hidden-weapon masters appear in disguise, so you can't find them by their appearance. Well then, did the master throw the weapon with their left hand? Or their right?"
I realized this was a very important question.
When I first saved Mok Seon-hwa, the master had thrown the Blood Dropper with their left hand. But I remembered that during the duel with the Smiling Face Sword, the person had thrown the hidden weapon with their right hand.
"Now that I think about it, the master used both hands. Could this be a clue?"
"Of course. It seems it will be a very important clue."
As he answered, Dang Ja-seong seemed to fall into deep thought.
"Thanks to Brother Eo, I’ve gained an unexpectedly large harvest."
I said with a smile, "I’m glad. It seems the priority is to find the master as soon as possible."
At those words, Dang Ja-seong’s face hardened.
"Since the Demon Subjugation Order has also reached our Tang Clan, I must resolve this matter first before searching for the master. I must also participate in the Tang Clan’s Demon Subjugation Group. I’m worried that something might happen to Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress in the meantime."
Dang Ja-seong spoke to Mok Yi-gun with a regretful face.
"Do not worry too much. The master is aiming for something, but I am not one to be easily defeated. By the time you return from defeating the Blood Lamas, I will have already captured the master, so put your worries to rest."
Though he was laughing heartily, I sensed a slight shadow flickering in the corners of Mok Yi-gun’s eyes.