A Debt of Three Lifetimes
Just 'What should I do?' It was something he could easily ignore. After all, Namgung Woo had no particular business with the people of the Paeng Family. The only reason he had stepped in was a simple, human sense of compassion—he couldn't just leave the injured to their fate. If they refused his help, there was no reason for him to force the issue.
'If they'd drawn their blades, I wouldn't have let it slide either.'
The three Paeng Family warriors who had arrived late were merely standing in his way with their bodies. Since they wielded blades, perhaps they should be called "sword wielders" rather than "swordsmen." Their hands rested on the hilts, ready to draw at any moment, but it was nothing more than a warning.
Namgung Woo was about to step back to show he had no intention of quarreling when Paeng Mu-ho spoke first.
"Everyone, stand down. This is not someone you can handle."
"What?"
"Vice Commander, what do you…."
Paeng Wi and Paeng Sa-beon of the Paeng Family asked in shock. Who was Paeng Mu-ho? He was a Peak Realm expert evaluated as the fifth strongest in pure martial prowess within the Paeng Family. For such a man to address a youth who had barely passed his early twenties with respect and call him "sir" was something that would turn the Hebei Murim upside down.
However, unlike the other two, the last warrior—Paeng Woo-chaek—let out a low groan, realizing his guess had been correct.
"Vice Commander, don't tell me that wave of energy just now was…?"
"That's right. It wasn't mine."
The Paeng Family warriors had also felt the violent energy waves unleashed during the clash between the Demonic Ghostfiend and Namgung Woo. That was why they had hurried ahead, leaving the other warriors behind and rushing forward alone. But they had mistakenly assumed Paeng Mu-ho was the source of that energy.
Namgung Woo had poured nearly all his internal energy into the Demonic Ghostfiend with almost no leakage. Since so little power had escaped, even if waves of energy had been released, trying to gauge his true strength from that alone was like a blind man touching an elephant's leg.
Unaware of this, the Paeng Family warriors naturally assumed their Vice Commander had fought with everything he had. Moreover, the fact that the person they saw upon arriving was so young only fueled their misunderstanding. After all, people tend to think within the bounds of their own common sense. It was far more natural for them to believe that the renowned expert they knew—Paeng Mu-ho—had displayed his full power rather than imagine that a youth barely in his twenties was a Transcendent Realm master.
"Even so…."
"He is a Transcendent Realm expert."
Paeng Mu-ho cut off the Paeng Family warriors' doubts with absolute certainty.
"I saw it with my own eyes."
What better proof could there be than that? At Paeng Mu-ho's firm declaration, the way the Paeng Family warriors looked at Namgung Woo completely changed.
"He looks barely past his early twenties."
"It's the Vice Commander's word. There's no mistake."
The Paeng Family warriors withdrew their hostility. After entrusting the unconscious Paeng Ha-ryeong to the three warriors, Paeng Mu-ho moved his body, which was covered in wounds, with great difficulty. Without hesitation, he bent at the waist—not in a martial salute, but in a deep bow. It was a respectful attitude toward his benefactor, regardless of age.
"I apologize for our rudeness, young hero. No—given the martial prowess I witnessed, it would be more fitting to call you great hero."
It still felt awkward for Namgung Woo to receive such polite speech from an elder. In the Murim world, age came after one's generation and martial strength in terms of hierarchy, but his mindset was closer to that of a modern person than a martial artist of the gangho.
"There was no rudeness to speak of. And the title of great hero feels a bit burdensome."
"If that is your wish, then so be it. I owe you my life. I will never forget this kindness. If you come to the Paeng Family and speak my name, I promise you will be treated as an honored guest."
Namgung Woo smiled awkwardly. Song Chae-ji had done the same, and now Paeng Mu-ho as well. Was this how everyone in the Righteous Murim behaved? Feeling embarrassed, Namgung Woo changed the subject by commenting on Paeng Mu-ho's condition.
"By the way, are you alright? It looks like your internal injuries are quite severe as well, sir."
"Hah… your eye technique is truly remarkable. But you need not worry about me. The people of my family are born with strong bodies, so internal injuries of this level are bearable. However…."
A shadow of worry and regret crossed Paeng Mu-ho's face. As he lowered his head, his profound anguish became clear.
"How did things come to this?"
Namgung Woo had roughly inferred the situation from the energy waves he sensed before arriving, but it had only been speculation. Yet Paeng Mu-ho could not give him a proper answer.
"I am sorry to my benefactor, but our family has no time to linger here."
Though he desperately wanted to leave immediately, Paeng Mu-ho was suppressing that urge out of respect for the one who had saved them. He felt deep self-reproach. This had been his mistake. He had been blinded by the information that the threat was only at the Red level and by underestimating the danger of the Ghostfiend. Even though Paeng Ha-ryeong, as a direct descendant, held higher authority than him, as the higher-realm martial artist, it had been his duty to assess the situation more coldly.
Had no one expected the Demonic Ghostfiend to appear? Yet Paeng Ha-ryeong had seen it with her own eyes and still chosen to fight. She had believed she could win if it was only one. But there had been two Demonic Ghostfiends. Only afterward did the two of them realize how reckless they had been. In the end, Paeng Mu-ho's attention had been divided while preparing for the creature, and both of them had been exposed to the malevolent energy that exploded at the moment of its death.
If not for the Paeng Family's naturally strong bodies and the improved family-protecting cultivation technique passed down and refined over generations, Paeng Ha-ryeong would not even be breathing right now.
'But leaving her like this would be the difference between instant death and slowly withering away in agony.'
Though fatigue still weighed heavily on him, Namgung Woo once again examined the two with his Changnyeongmanan. It was like a bird soaring through the sky looking down at tiny prey on the ground. His gaze instantly pierced through the condition of their bodies.
"May I take a look?"
"You, young hero?"
"You must already know how serious her condition is. Ordinary physicians wouldn't even be able to touch her. Do you have any other plans?"
"…None. Just as you said. I planned to give her emergency treatment with emergency medicine and return to the family as quickly as possible."
If they sent a messenger pigeon to inform the family and met up at a midpoint between Tianjin, where the Paeng Family was based, and Muan County, they could make contact within two or three days. If she took the emergency medicine and Paeng Mu-ho assisted her circulation even at the cost of using his innate true qi, Paeng Ha-ryeong should be able to hold on until then. That was what Paeng Mu-ho believed. What he wanted to believe.
But Namgung Woo thought differently.
'At this rate, she probably won't make it through today.'
Her luck had been terrible. If Paeng Ha-ryeong had even half her usual internal energy left, it might have bought them time by clashing with the malevolent energy even if she suffered internal injuries. But right now, there was almost no internal energy left in her body. Namgung Woo didn't know how much she had originally accumulated, but it was clear that her entire body would be devoured by that malevolent energy if things continued this way.
Simply by looking at Paeng Ha-ryeong's condition, Namgung Woo could deduce how she had responded during the explosion.
'She tried to block it with her right hand. Using her hand would have been faster than drawing her blade. The meridians of the three main channels on her right hand—the Hand Lesser Yin Heart Channel, Hand Yangming Large Intestine Channel, and Hand Taiyin Lung Channel—have all been tainted by the malevolent energy. To extend her life even a little, they'll have to amputate it. Has Paeng Mu-ho already resolved himself to that?'
The three channels Namgung Woo recalled all ran along the right arm. Amputating the right arm. Whether one was right-handed or left-handed, it would completely destroy the body's balance. One could say that her life as a martial artist would effectively be over. Paeng Mu-ho knew this. Anyone who had spent decades in the gangho would naturally come to understand what measures were necessary, even without studying medicine separately. Why wouldn't Paeng Mu-ho know? To save her, the best option was to cut off the right arm, which had been most heavily contaminated by the malevolent energy, to prevent further invasion, then use his own true qi to drive out the energy polluting her organs.
Yet there was one thing Paeng Mu-ho still could not understand. Why was Namgung Woo trying to help them? It was a valid question, even if it sounded ridiculous coming from someone in desperate need of aid. He was already their family's benefactor. If he hadn't come, both he and Paeng Mu-ho would have lost their lives long before there was any talk of saving Paeng Ha-ryeong. That alone was a life-saving grace. Was he perhaps dreaming of becoming the Paeng Family's son-in-law? But wasn't the Paeng Family's reputation insufficient for that? A Transcendent Realm expert at such a young age could aim for a marriage alliance with the far more powerful Xianyuan Imperial Family. If he sought power, the imperial court itself would be a good option. With his talent, the position of Wulim Governor—the head of the imperial office overseeing the martial world—would not be beyond his reach. So why would he go out of his way to help Paeng Ha-ryeong, who had been contaminated by the Demonic Ghostfiend's malevolent energy?
'Is it arrogance? Or simply ignorance?'
If he had reached the Transcendent Realm at a young age and truly believed everything under heaven would go as he wished, that was a mistake. Of course, his control over internal energy might be superior to Paeng Mu-ho's, but transferring energy to someone who practiced a different internal cultivation method was no easy task even for a Transcendent Realm expert. Perhaps he didn't know the dangers of energy transfer. Young people often overlook risks they haven't experienced firsthand. Moreover, helping someone contaminated by the malevolent energy of a creature as vicious as the Demonic Ghostfiend was far more dangerous than ordinary energy transfer. Even the former was problematic, but if it was the latter, he had to stop it for the sake of his benefactor's safety.
Though the train of thought had been long, the actual exchange—Paeng Mu-ho asking and Namgung Woo answering—took place in a very short time. And the answer Namgung Woo gave swept away all of Paeng Mu-ho's worries and anxieties.
"Because I can."
That was Namgung Woo's true intention. He had already received an apology for the Paeng Family's rudeness. And the reason this woman named Paeng Ha-ryeong had ended up like this was because she had fought to protect the weak, wasn't it? If she had been a villain, Namgung Woo wouldn't have stepped forward. But when someone acted with good intentions, it moved his heart.
Above all, he had the ability. That was why he stepped forward. That was all there was to it.
His feelings were conveyed through his voice. Not because he sought any special reward. Simply because he objectively knew he could help, so he would. There was no arrogance in Namgung Woo's calm voice. It simply carried strong self-confidence as he said there was no need to worry.
"If…."
Because of that, Paeng Mu-ho could not help but grasp the rope of hope that had been lowered before him.
"If you say you will treat Ha-ryeong—no, even if you can just improve her condition…."
Thud.
Paeng Mu-ho's knees touched the ground. The knees of the hero who had shaken the Hebei Murim, the Vice Commander of the Bukcheon Squad, the greatest martial force of the Hebei Paeng Family.
"This Paeng Mu-ho swears that even if it costs me my life, I will grant you three requests."
Two for the lives of himself and Paeng Ha-ryeong. One more for treating Paeng Ha-ryeong. That made three. It was an incredibly weighty oath for Paeng Mu-ho, but Namgung Woo's reaction was utterly indifferent, almost bored.
'Was that really necessary…?'
She's weaker than me, and….
'I wish he'd let me examine her condition in detail first.'
Fortunately, Namgung Woo had common sense and the self-restraint not to voice his thoughts easily.
"Then let's take a look."
Lightly brushing off Paeng Mu-ho's solemn vow, Namgung Woo approached Paeng Ha-ryeong. But opposition came from an unexpected place. While even the Paeng Family warriors remained silent during the conversation between Namgung Woo and Paeng Mu-ho, the ones who voiced their disagreement were—
"Young hero, you mustn't!"
"Little brother, think again!"
None other than the Yang twins.