Chapter 56: Striking It Rich (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 56: Striking It Rich (2)
Wait, what?
I had completely misunderstood something. I thought that if Jeok Yeong manifested his Body Protective Aura, it would wrap around me too. Instead, his aura was actively pushing me away.
It occurred to me then that I didn't actually know how a Body Protective Aura worked. At this rate, Jeok Yeong would survive while I’d be the only one ending up as a bloody smear on the ground.
Sshhhhhhh!
The wind whistled past my ears as the ground rushed up to meet me at an alarming speed.
My mind raced through various survival strategies, and one suddenly clicked. It was, admittedly, a rather despicable and shameless move.
But if I wanted to live, I had no choice.
"I'm sorry!"
I grabbed him by the waist, pulled him into a tight embrace, and spun us around mid-air.
"Huh?"
As his body moved beneath mine, he let out a startled cry, sensing something was wrong.
I’m really sorry, man.
You’re a master, so you can protect yourself with your Body Protective Aura, but I can’t. So, don't feel too wronged about me using you as a shield.
No matter how much of a master Jeok Yeong was, his reaction time in this specific situation was slower than mine. Like I’ve said before, you have to be just the right amount of despicable and cowardly to keep your life.
THOOM!
Even with his body cushioning the impact, falling from a height of twenty jang [approx. 60 meters] was a massive shock.
My body, along with Jeok Yeong’s, bounced three jang back into the air before slamming into the dirt again.
Splat!
I felt mud seeping into my nose and mouth. Then, like a heavy sleep washing over me, I blacked out.
*
I woke up when the rain began pelting my face.
The sky had turned dark, and raindrops were falling steadily.
Though I had regained consciousness, I was still in a daze. My head felt fuzzy, as if I had just been jolted awake from a deep, dreamless slumber.
Every inch of my body screamed in agony.
'The fact that I’m still here... does that mean the Emei Sect masters were all killed by the Blood Lamas?'
The reason I was lying here spread-eagled soon came back to me.
If the Emei Sect had defeated the Blood Lamas, they would have found Jeok Yeong and me by now. On the other hand, if the Blood Lamas had won, there was no way I’d still be breathing. They would have checked for survivors and finished us off.
I turned my head to the left and saw Jeok Yeong lying flat on his back.
'I lived because of you. Thanks.'
I began to crawl toward him.
The impact of the fall made it feel like my limbs were detached from my torso, and I couldn't sense even a flicker of internal energy.
Left with no choice, I crawled on all fours to check if he was alive. He was breathing softly, as if asleep. He wasn't dead.
It was a stroke of pure luck.
If it hadn't been for the pile of loose soil that cushioned our fall—if the bottom of that cliff had been solid rock—we would have been nothing but a bloody mess, regardless of his Body Protective Aura.
"I lived thanks to you. Thank you."
I’m the kind of guy who knows how to show gratitude, so don't feel too bad.
I continued to crawl on all fours, attempting to find a way back up the cliff.
Just then, a faint voice reached me.
"Help... me!"
Jeok Yeong had opened his eyes and was looking at me. However, I didn't have the strength to look after him. My priority was to check the situation outside and call for help. The rain was causing the loose soil to slowly slide down toward us. If we weren't careful, we’d be buried alive.
"I'll go out first and bring people back. Just hang in there."
I ignored him and resumed my crawl up the slope.
"My body... won't move. Please, help me!"
Jeok Yeong’s desperate voice echoed again. I crawled a bit further before coming to a halt.
'Fine. If I save you now, we’re even.'
I’m a man who keeps his books balanced.
I won't claim to be your life-saver, so don't you go saying that to me either.
I crawled back to Jeok Yeong. Even moving on all fours was an ordeal.
"Young Hero Jeok, are you alright?"
He just stared at me with his eyes wide open. Since he didn't say anything and just kept blinking at me, I asked again.
"I asked if you're okay."
Wait, is this guy mad because I used him as a shield?
My conscience pricked me, considering what I’d done.
"Ah, I’m really sorry about earlier. I didn't do it on purpose. It was just... an instinctual reaction, so please understand. You don't really think I’d try to use you like that intentionally, do you?"
I stole a glance at him as I spoke, and Jeok Yeong finally uttered a single sentence.
"Who... are you?"
"Well, I'm..."
Wait, what? Is he messing with me?
"Young Hero Jeok, I know you're angry, but I told you it wasn't on purpose. Do I really look like that kind of person to you?"
"Who are you?"
Looking into his eyes, I realized he genuinely had no idea who I was.
What is this?
"I... I am Eo Ja-seo. Young Hero Jeok, do you know who you are?"
I asked, having a sudden hunch.
"I... My name is..."
He furrowed his brow, thinking hard for a long time.
"My name... I don't know."
"Then do you know which sect you belong to?"
Jeok Yeong had only ended up here because he happened to encounter the Blood Lamas fighting the Emei Sect and joined the fray. Even the Emei Sect didn't know his origins.
Jeok Yeong shook his head.
"My sect... I don't know. I can't remember."
I pressed him with a few more questions.
"Do you know why you came here?"
"I came to kill the Blood Lamas."
Oh? He remembers recent events, but why can't he remember his past?
"Who did you fight with?"
He frowned again, answering with an uncertain voice.
"Did I... fight alone?"
He couldn't even remember recent events perfectly.
"Where are you from?"
"I... I..."
Jeok Yeong couldn't answer.
After a few more questions, I realized he had lost all his past memories and only had fragmented recollections of recent events.
In short, he had the kind of amnesia you only see in martial arts novels.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Didn't you say you were Eo Ja-seo?"
Based on his answer, his mental faculties seemed intact.
It seemed that when I used him as a shield during the fall, the back of his head hit the ground, and the shock caused him to lose his memory. Along with a twinge of guilt, a wicked thought flashed through my mind.
'I’ve hit the jackpot.'
"My name is Eo Ja-seo. Is there really nothing else you remember?"
Jeok Yeong, who was finally starting to move his body bit by bit, shook his head.
"Nothing."
Then that’s that, buddy. You’re my patsy now.
"Don't you remember that you and I swore an oath of brotherhood?"
"Sworn brothers?"
"That's right, Junior Brother Jeok. You and I fought side by side against the enemy, sharing life and death. We swore to die on the same day and became sworn brothers, didn't we?"
It was a total lie made up on the spot, but he had no context or evidence to doubt me.
I intended to use this to make him my sworn younger brother. And since I was at it, I decided to drop the formalities and speak casually.
"You keep calling me 'Junior Brother Jeok,' but what is my full name?"
"It's Jeok Yeong. Your name is Jeok Yeong."
"Jeok Yeong..."
He muttered the name several times as if it were foreign to him.
"Think about it. How else would I know your name? I know it because we’re sworn brothers. And if you weren't my brother, how would I know all the details of what happened recently?"
As I recounted the recent events he vaguely remembered in great detail, he began to nod. Since my story matched his fragmented memories, he started to believe me.
However, he still looked at me with a lingering trace of doubt.
I see. Then I need a bit of acting.
A man with no memory needs emotion and sincerity.
"Aah! Junior Brother Jeok. It seems you've truly lost your memory."
When I let the tears flow, Jeok Yeong flinched in surprise.
To force the tears out, I summoned my most painful memories: the time I got beaten all day for stealing a dumpling, the time I stole chicken from a tavern only for it to be rotten, leaving me hovering between life and death for a week.
I recalled the time my ribs were broken by neighborhood thugs even though I was carrying a sword, and the time I was sexually harassed by the local middle-aged women while working as a waiter. I dragged every miserable memory to the surface and sobbed uncontrollably.
"Yo—Young Hero Eo. Why are you doing this?"
"Ah! How can I not be sad when you don't recognize me and call me 'Young Hero Eo'? How can I not grieve when I've lost my brother right before my eyes? Seeing you unable to call me 'Brother' breaks my heart! It's all my fault. It's this elder brother's fault for failing to protect you properly! Waaaaah!"
"Young Hero Eo, please, why are you like this?"
As I wailed and lamented, he became flustered.
"To go from 'Brother' to 'Young Hero Eo'... to go from brothers to strangers... how can I not cry?!"
Jeok Yeong fell for my performance hook, line, and sinker.
"Br—Brother. Please stop crying."
In a situation like this, how could he not believe me? Besides, it’s only natural for someone who’s lost their memory to want someone to lean on. He knows nothing; what else is he going to do?
He has no choice but to follow me.
The rain was getting heavier now, making it look like I was shedding a torrent of tears even with my mediocre acting.
Rumble!
A section of the cliffside collapsed under the rain.
"We'll be buried if we stay here. Junior Brother Jeok, get on my back. We have to get out of here."
"Brother, you don't look like you're in any condition to carry me."
"It's fine. Even if I had no arms or legs, I would carry you out of here, so don't say another word."
When I said that, even the memory-wiped Jeok Yeong looked moved. The only reason I was being so affectionate was simple.
The guy was a master.
And not just any master—he was a first-rate expert who could probably make a snack out of a couple of Blood Lamas.
If such a master became my sworn brother and stayed by my side, I would truly become the invincible New Dragon of Sichuan. I could just make Jeok Yeong do all the fighting.
Plus, since he had no memory, he was the perfect companion to keep around. I was essentially getting a first-rate expert as a bodyguard without spending a single cent.
At that thought, a surge of strength welled up from nowhere.
However, despite my resolve, climbing a cliff of rain-soaked mud was difficult. I kept sliding back down to where I started. But knowing we’d be buried if we stayed, I pushed on desperately.
"Brother, you go up first and then pull me up."
"What are you talking about?! Didn't we promise? We live together, and we die together!"
"Brother!"
He choked up slightly, clearly moved.
"Don't worry. Do you really think your brother can't even get out of a place like this?"
I crawled with every ounce of strength I had left until I reached the very top of the cliff. I just needed to reach out a bit further to crest the top, but with Jeok Yeong’s weight, I began to slide back down again.
'Dammit, I'm out of strength.'
It was then. Just as I was about to slide back to the bottom, someone grabbed both of my wrists.
"My Lord!"
I looked up.
The Twin Heroes of Guiyang were each holding one of my wrists, and behind them, Hwang Chu was grinning.
"I found you with this."
He shook a bell at me.
It seemed the bell had resonated with the Soul-Soothing Three Spirit Bell I possessed, allowing them to track my location.
Ah! I’ll never call that guy a fake medicine seller again.
A wave of pure, genuine gratitude washed over me. I suppose this is why people repent after a near-death experience.
The Twin Heroes of Guiyang were on the verge of tears. I could only imagine how desperately they had been searching for me.
"I've been waiting for you!"
When I spoke with a smile, the Twin Heroes bit their lips to keep from crying.
"Young Hero Eo!"
Behind them, I saw Fairy Doyeon’s face.
As she looked at me with a worried expression, she appeared incredibly ethereal and pure.
'Fine, you can be the Greatest Beauty in the World!'
My generosity had certainly reached new heights.