Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: penny
Chapter Title: Let's Rob the Thief (3)
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Huuuuu.
The children, each facing a wall in a cross-legged position, were fully focused on their meditation and energy circulation.
Seeing the heat haze shimmering above their heads, it seemed they were all smoothly absorbing the spiritual medicine's energy.
"The urgent fire is out."
It was the internal energy I'd thought we lacked the most lately.
No matter how much talent could handle ordinary training, internal energy absolutely required time.
"It's not just the time spent cultivating martial arts—spiritual medicines are damn hard to come by."
Even for the Seven Great Families, spiritual medicines weren't something you could easily obtain.
You had to be at the level of a family heir or equivalent to barely get your hands on one.
The kids' talents could aim for family support later, but getting spiritual medicines at too late an age made it hard to expect full effects.
"You need to take them young, when your qi and blood are still pure."
The effects halved as you aged and impurities built up in the body.
"Maybe now they won't need as much hand-holding?"
Truth be told, this wasn't the first time I'd fed them spiritual medicines.
I'd broken off pieces of my Great Return Pill and given it to them bit by bit.
But that had only been a stopgap to quickly build up results.
There were too many places where openly boosting their power was tricky.
"Can't have the Great Return Pill's aura wafting around the heart of the Divine Martial Academy."
The Great Return Pill was a Shaolin treasure.
If someone unlucky recognized its energy, it'd be trouble.
I could have killed them all, but for some reason—maybe old memories—I didn't want to get tangled with those Shaolin monks.
"They shun killing and don't even touch bladed weapons, yet they smash skulls with iron rods."
They were the baldheads who'd once turned many of my subordinates into headless ghosts.
Just thinking about it ruined my sleep.
"Anyway, I've got too few Great Return Pills left even for my girl."
Still, it felt a bit wasteful like this.
It was a chance to solve the internal energy issue that would hold them back for life.
"Shall I give them a little help?"
As the thought stirred,
Swaaaaa.
A dark blue heat haze began rising from my fingertips.
Shwaaaaa.
The black energy filling the cavern made the spiritual medicines react, surging even more violently.
"Who'd have thought I'd get this here."
Nether Heaven Society.
Guess I owe you guys sometimes.
"Huuuuu..."
Nangong Yun-ho, exhaling a long breath, unconsciously placed a hand on his lower abdomen.
'Internal energy...'
A heavy, profound power he'd never felt before coiled within him.
His internal energy had always fallen short.
'I thought I'd live my whole life worrying about lacking it...'
Who knew he'd gain such a fateful encounter.
"Hey. Feeling good?"
Turning his head, he saw the instructor watching him, lips curled in a smile.
A surge of heat welled up.
Overcome, Nangong Yun-ho bowed deeply in a full prostration.
'A benefactor for life.'
I couldn't repay this grace even in a lifetime.
As he pressed his forehead to the ground in sincerity, a panicked voice rang out.
"Hey. What're you doing."
"Why go that far?"
"This was all to use you guys. No need to thank me."
The instructor was the same as ever.
Devilish in daily life, but clearly flustered by true gratitude.
Not wanting to trouble him further, Nangong Yun-ho lifted his head.
"My body feels light as if it could float away. Power overflows."
"Better get used to it. Long road ahead."
"I'll strive endlessly."
As they chatted,
Moyong So-hye opened her eyes.
"Hah! What is this really?"
"What else? Precious spiritual medicine from the thief."
Meanwhile, Jegal Tan, who had next settled his energy, looked utterly confused.
"Unbelievable. Twenty years of cultivation—it's beyond belief."
"Twenty years?"
Jegal Tan, having experienced spiritual medicines before, seemed to know their exact effects.
'More than twenty years...'
It felt far deeper and more profound.
But Jegal Tan would be more accurate on this.
"You're lucky."
"Luck doesn't explain it. Truly. Such a fateful encounter..."
His usually cool-headed friend was stammering—a rare sight worth savoring.
"Instructor. Am I gonna become a true master like this?"
"Yup. The legend of Bronze Hall's Ghost Fist is just beginning."
"Ugh, seriously."
Seeing Chu Un-hwi chuckling at Moyong So-hye's pout made me smile too.
I touched my own upturned lips.
'Was I always someone who smiles this much?'
Lately, every day felt joyful. Was this okay?
There was a small commotion too.
"Thanks to you, Instructor, my lower belly feels so heavy!"
The instructor flicked her forehead for the easily misunderstood words, and Baek Ri-seol clutched it, hopping about.
"Ow! It hurts. Hurts like dying!"
Bronze Hall's ice flower.
Her usual icy demeanor made the snow woman nickname seem undeserved.
"All packed up."
Moyong So-hye's eyes twitched at the items the instructor neatly set down.
"You handled it all already?"
"Yeah. Perfect, right?"
The elegant gold ingots that had boasted graceful forms before the spiritual medicines were now melted and fused into one lump.
'When...'
The instructor's abilities were mysterious.
Even gold shouldn't melt and clump like snow so easily.
"This is my slush fund."
"Enough to build a village?"
"A buddy of mine's about to set up in Infinite Castle soon. Gotta tuck some pocket money for times like this."
Clink.
Baek Ri-seol's eyes sparkled at the swords by his feet.
"These must be..."
"Yeah. Took off the flashy ornaments for now."
"My dowry from you! Ow."
Baek Ri-seol clutched her forehead again, hopping with teary doe eyes.
"Quit yapping and let's head back. Wanna rest during the remaining break."
As if they wouldn't.
They'd been dragged on this arduous night journey already.
Who wouldn't welcome returning to comfy daily life?
Finally, homeward.
Fwoosh.
In the end, Chu Un-hwi set the hideout ablaze.
No traces could be left behind.
Jegal Tan seemed a bit regretful, but Chu Un-hwi summed it up.
"You're an accomplice too. Handing over martial arts manuals would be even worse."
"What do you mean?"
"You ate the Wudang Sect's cherished Supreme Purity Pill."
Supreme Purity Pill.
One of the few secret spiritual medicines left even in Wudang.
A treasure among treasures, requiring a full decade of effort for one pill.
"N-No way. The ones we ate were..."
"Yeah, Supreme Purity Pills."
"You said they were nameless spiritual medicines..."
"Bluff."
I needed accomplices.
Jegal Tan's face drained pale at the explanation.
"The Silver Moon Bandit was hoarding it, too precious to use."
"No wonder it tasted so good. Felt nice going down, huh?"
"Too late for regrets. Already turned to shit in your gut."
Jegal Tan stared at the sky, mouth agape, then dropped the manuals.
"...We keep this secret."
He gnawed his thumb with a grim face.
'Really, what a guy.'
The instructor always showed unpredictable sides.
'Whatever, doesn't matter to me.'
Already in too deep.
Just follow him gladly.
Even if I run till I collapse without rest.
'He raised someone who couldn't even debut before.'
Nangong Yun-ho prayed he could keep staring at the instructor's back forever.
Several days later.
Returning to his hideout, Silver Moon Bandit Konya-byeong let out a roar.
"Kraaaagh!"
Sensing something amiss, he'd flown through the trees in haste, only to step on something.
Seeing it pierce his leather shoe into his sole, Konya-byeong was stunned.
'Silver needle?'
Why was a covertly planted silver needle stuck in a tree?
Puzzled, but no time to think.
The slight numbness meant it was coated in paralyzing poison.
Tat.
To regain balance, he flipped in midair and clung to a branch.
Using its sway like a monkey, he leaped to deploy Floating Flight again.
But in an instant, pain pierced his hand; sparks flew from his eyes.
"Khek."
Some madman had hidden a weapon in the branch too.
As if perfectly predicting his reaction.
Thud. Thud thud.
Off-balance in a flash, Konya-byeong snapped branches and plummeted.
Pierce pierce pierce.
Stabbed repeatedly, no chance to use his footwork.
Crack. Crunch.
It happened so suddenly he couldn't even deploy his prized Floating Flight.
His bat-inspired clothes and membranes tore on impact.
No Floating Flight now.
Ground rushed up; his mind reeled.
Splat!
Face-planting without proper landing, he sprawled out.
A wretched sight, like a frog dropped from the sky.
"Which bastard..."
Grind.
Regaining senses, Konya-byeong gnashed his teeth.
"Kugh."
Gritting through pain, he staggered to the hideout.
His face paled, pupils dilated as he neared.
Blackened scorch marks confirmed his fears.
His hideout was ruined.
"No. This can't be."
Precious manuals and treasures.
Divine swords and blades danced in his mind, but worst was the recent spiritual medicines.
- Cooperate with the Society.
Suspicious bunch, but their spiritual medicines were real.
Ones even he, who sniffed out treasures like a ghost, had never seen.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Unable to read their intentions, he'd hoarded them.
"My spiritual medicines!!"
To end up ashes.
If he'd known, he'd have swallowed them right away.
But problems didn't end there.
- We have a job for you.
Those suspicious ones wouldn't stay quiet knowing he'd wasted their spiritual medicines.
"Damn! Damn it!"
Pounding the wall with fists, Konya-byeong bit his lip.
'This is bad.'
They'd tracked him when even the Murim Alliance couldn't.
Before they noticed his misfortune, he had to erase traces and flee.
"Kugh. Ugh."
Pain racking his body, grief choking his chest, Konya-byeong let out beastly wails.
"Whoever did this, I'll find you and chew you alive."
Grind.
In the remote mountain valley untouched by man, one man's rage began burning silently.
"Achoo!"
Chu Un-hwi wiped under his nose with a finger.
"Ah, what's this? Nose itches."
"Instructor Chu. Caught a summer cold?"
As if.
Couldn't remember the last time he was sick.
"Ears itching too."
Yeo Mae-hong chuckled.
"Someone must be badmouthing Instructor Chu."
"Weird. Me, living righteously without laws—where's the badmouthing coming from?"
"Doubt that."
The voice from beyond the wall drew nearer.
"I could name a few badmouthing Instructor Chu right now."
"Who are these vile scoundrels slandering me?"
Yeo Mae-hong answered without hesitation.
"First, Hall Master Chung-hyun."
"Ah."
"You left a note and vanished, causing a huge fuss."
"...Fair."
"Next, Instructor Moyong. Thought her sister who went to meet you had gone missing together."
"......"
No retort.
More names followed.
Baek Family, Jegal Family, fellow instructors, even Murim Alliance outer experts.
"Last, me. Know how startled I was when you suddenly disappeared?"
Yeo Mae-hong added that Squad Leader Dugoryul had stopped a full assembly.
"...I lack the face."
Impulsive trip, sure.
Understandable, but felt wronged.
Volunteered unpaid in precious time, now nagging.
"The jianghu's ways have fallen!"
"What fell was Instructor Chu's conscience, no?"
Don't worry me like that.
Ignored a faint sound.
"The jianghu's ways aaaah-!"
Chu Un-hwi tore at the bedding.