Chapter 309
Chapter 309
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 85
>Chapter Title: Reunion (1)
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Mok Kyung-un watched the backs of the government troops frantically chasing after the demon beast Heumwon and sneered.
“It’s going just as expected.”
“They were lying in ambush after all.”
Seop Chun clicked his tongue as he gazed at the government troops.
After the Shaolin Reverse Muscle Scripture Leader, Great Monk Museong, acknowledged the defeat of the One Hundred Eight Arhats Formation, Escort Commander Kang Hak had quietly vanished.
He had assumed that Mok Kyung-un and his group were too focused on Shaolin to notice him, but that was a miscalculation.
Since they were in a position to keep the relentless pursuit of the imperial army in check, they had been closely watching Escort Commander Kang Hak make his escape.
From start to finish, his face was full of schemes—it was not the expression of someone retreating.
“We’ll follow the strange bird east and shake off the pursuit for a while.”
Mong Mu-yak said, pleased that the plan had worked.
As long as they could evade the imperial army’s pursuit, they could consider their mission more than eighty percent complete.
At that moment, the rogue monk Ja Geum-jeong gulped down liquor from his gourd and asked,
*Gulp gulp!*
“Haah. But, my lord, is it really okay to just let that strange bird go like that? Even if its wings are injured and it can’t carry us easily, it seems a shame to abandon it over that alone.”
Back at Shaolin, he had desperately insisted on taking it along despite being told to leave it behind. Now, using it as bait to lure the enemy seemed odd to him.
Mok Kyung-un replied nonchalantly.
“No need to worry. My spirit beast and I are connected by fate, so it can find its way back to me even from afar. Besides, it seems like it needs some time to recover its injured wings through its innate power.”
“If that’s the case, then fine.”
Ja Geum-jeong stroked his bald head, relieved.
Seop Chun smirked at him and said,
“Have you grown attached already?”
“Ahem. Attached? It’s just convenient for getting around.”
“Heh heh heh.”
“I don’t like that laugh.”
“Who said anything?”
Leaving the bickering pair alone, Mong Mu-yak pointed southwest and said,
“For now, my lord, we should hurry. Even if they’ve been fooled for the moment, they might catch on soon.”
“Very well. Then stop being stubborn and get on already.”
Mok Kyung-un turned his head and looked at Holy Fire Spirit Lord.
Her face flushed with embarrassment, she hurriedly averted her gaze.
Where her eyes had fled to was the demon beast Alyu.
Originally the size of a two-story building, Alyu—like Heumwon—could adjust its size befitting its superior rank among the Yi Mae Mang Ryang.
Now, it had shrunk to the size of a horse suitable for carrying people.
Though everyone in the group could use lightness skill, Holy Fire Spirit Lord’s aged body couldn’t keep up even with walking, so he had told her to ride Alyu.
However, even reduced in size, its appearance was still that of a ferocious monster, so Holy Fire Spirit Lord kept refusing.
“You really won’t ride?”
“I’d rather walk.”
Mok Kyung-un eyed Holy Fire Spirit Lord, who shook her head stubbornly in firm refusal. The demon beast Alyu muttered irritably,
“Kiririk. This old human is so picky.”
No sooner had the words left its mouth than its red fur turned brown, its horns retracted from its head, and its form gradually shifted to that of a horse.
“Ooh! Look at that.”
“This thing knows transformation arts too?”
Amazed by the demon beast Alyu, Seop Chun and Ja Geum-jeong made a fuss.
Puffed up by their reactions, Alyu snorted, cleared its throat proudly, and raised its tail.
‘On the same level of mischief as that fox spirit.’
Mong Mu-yak crossed her arms and clicked her tongue pityingly at them.
Thanks to the demon beast Alyu transforming into a horse, they could finally seat Holy Fire Spirit Lord, and the group hurriedly headed southwest from Mount Song.
* * *
Four days passed since then.
To evade the imperial army’s pursuit, the group pressed on southwest without rest.
However, as they entered the northern region of Hubei Province, rain began to fall, making continuous travel difficult.
They could have pushed on forcefully, but the problem was Holy Fire Spirit Lord.
For her untrained, aged body, the journey so far had already been physically taxing.
Even periodic infusions of qi from the group didn’t help much.
One might think riding a horse—or rather, a demon beast Alyu—wouldn’t be tiring, but even trained riders or cavalry suffered strain on their tailbones and inner thighs after riding all day.
For the elderly Holy Fire Spirit Lord, whose muscles had atrophied with age, it was even worse, and the rain dropping her body temperature made her condition precarious.
“Haa... haa... I feel dizzy.”
“We can’t push any further.”
Seop Chun checked Holy Fire Spirit Lord’s pulse and examined her closely before speaking.
Mong Mu-yak scanned the surroundings and said,
“My lord, since it’s come to this, how about resting at the branch hall? It shouldn’t be far from here.”
“Branch hall?”
“Yes, there’s an intermediate outpost we were supposed to stop at for reports, per the original plan. We skipped it to head west toward Sichuan, but with this rain, that’s impossible. It’d be better to detour slightly, rest at the branch, and procure a carriage.”
“A carriage...”
Mok Kyung-un nodded, looking at Holy Fire Spirit Lord, whose lips had turned blue and who was shivering uncontrollably.
She had clearly reached her limit.
They traveled south for half a day and soon arrived at a small village of about thirty households where the Heaven and Earth Society’s branch was located.
Mong Mu-yak, the only one who knew of the branch, pointed to a few shabby houses on the western side of the village.
“That’s it.”
“Unexpected.”
“Yes. The northern part of Hubei is close to the orthodox sects’ territory, so they’ve disguised it as close to civilian homes as possible.”
“I see. Let’s go.”
If they didn’t get out of the rain soon, the shivering Holy Fire Spirit Lord looked like she might collapse.
* * *
Unlike its rundown exterior, the inside of the branch was clean and quite cozy.
“Elder, I’ve brewed some tea. Please have some.”
“Thank you.”
Holy Fire Spirit Lord, seated by the brazier’s firewood flames, accepted the teacup, looking somewhat revived.
It was fortunate the group had taken turns infusing her with qi; otherwise, she might have already succumbed to hypothermia.
Though warmed by the heat, she was still trembling, her face pale from the lingering cold. Mong Mu-yak said,
“She needs at least half a day’s rest.”
“Agreed.”
“It’d be nice if the rain let up by then...”
*Rumble!*
With thunder crashing and lightning flashing repeatedly, that seemed unlikely.
They’d been told procuring a carriage would take at least half a day anyway, so proper rest was best.
The middle-aged branch leader cautiously asked them,
“Meals will be ready soon. Is there anything else you need?”
At the question, rogue monk Ja Geum-jeong replied eagerly,
“My throat’s parched—some warm liquor would be perfect.”
“Ah, then I’ll heat some baekju...”
“Baekju? Got anything else?”
“We happen to have some huangjiu from Jiangnan. I’ll heat it up and bring it.”
“Keh heh, good.”
Ja Geum-jeong had started drinking to numb the agony of seeing what he shouldn’t, but at some point, he’d become unable to live without it.
As the branch leader left, Mok Kyung-un recalled something and said,
“Perfect timing.”
He pulled a pouch from his bosom.
Everyone’s eyes turned to the pouch.
That was because it contained the spirit elixirs—Small Return Pills—given by Shaolin.
Mok Kyung-un had received them all at once, and with the urgent flight from pursuit, everyone had momentarily forgotten about them.
‘Small Return Pill... They say there’s zero qi loss during qi circulation among all elixirs—is that true?’
There were many famous elixirs besides Small Return Pills.
Like Mount Hua Sect’s Purple Spirit Pill or Wudang’s Supreme Purity Pill.
But Shaolin elixirs were particularly renowned because they had virtually no qi dissipation compared to others.
Dissipation referred to the energy scattered during absorption.
Even the finest elixirs rarely allowed near-perfect absorption of ten parts out of ten.
Yet Shaolin’s Small Return Pills and Great Return Pills boasted near-perfect absorption rates regardless of constitution or aptitude.
That’s why they were called the supreme elixirs.
“Smack.”
Seop Chun smacked his lips at the elixir pouch.
He wanted to ask for one since they were individual rewards, but since his lord had earned them, he hesitated to presume.
The others felt the same.
Mok Kyung-un then took out five Small Return Pills from the pouch.
And said,
“Here, one each. Take this chance to consume them and circulate your qi.”
“M-my lord!”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Seop Chun knelt before Mok Kyung-un in感動.
He had inwardly feared his lord might hoard them out of greed, so he couldn’t help but be thrilled.
“I’ll pledge my life in unwavering loyalty!”
“Wasn’t it that way until now?”
“N-no, of course it was! I’ve always been prepared to give my life.”
Mok Kyung-un smirked at Seop Chun’s flustered response and tossed him a pill.
*Tok!*
Seop Chun caught it reverently, like a sacred relic.
“Next, Mong Mu-yak.”
*Tok!*
“Thank you, my lord!”
The usually taciturn Mong Mu-yak’s lips curved upward as she received the pill, clearly pleased.
She had suffered greatly since pledging loyalty to Mok Kyung-un, and now she finally felt rewarded.
After giving one to Mong Mu-yak, Mok Kyung-un called the next.
“Mara Hyeon.”
“...Yes, my lord.”
“Take it.”
*Tok!*
Ma Ra-hyeon caught the tossed pill.
‘!?‘
A glint flashed in Ma Ra-hyeon’s pale eyes.
Unlike the others, she had joined recently and thought trust issues from Holy Fire Spirit Lord’s matter might mean no pill for her.
Yet seeing him casually hand over something as precious as treasure to a martial artist stirred strange feelings.
‘Even if he absorbed them all, no one would complain.’
What an enigma.
Does he give so generously to those he considers his own?
Then Mok Kyung-un gripped one of the remaining two pills and called rogue monk Ja Geum-jeong.
“Ja Geum-jeong.”
Everyone looked puzzled.
He had rejected the Small Return Pill himself, opting instead to punch Precepts Court Leader Great Virtue Monk of the Shaolin Three Sages.
Was he really giving his share to such a man?
‘Huh?’
Mok Kyung-un was indeed about to toss a pill to Ja Geum-jeong.
Ja Geum-jeong hurriedly waved it off.
“This monk doesn’t need it.”
“You don’t need it?”
“For those who must fill their vessel, it might be useful, but for this monk, what’s needed is enlightenment, my lord.”
Seop Chun said in disbelief,
“What? You’re refusing our lord’s generosity? Take it now before you regret it.”
“Heh heh. I said I don’t need it.”
“How could you pass up such a chance...”
Mok Kyung-un smirked and said,
“No, Ja Geum-jeong is right. It’d be meaningless to him.”
“Huh?”
Seop Chun tilted his head.
Though Seop Chun didn’t understand, Mok Kyung-un knew Ja Geum-jeong had mastered the supreme ability to draw in ambient qi at will during circulation, so he didn’t press further.
Elixirs meant nothing to him.
Mok Kyung-un then held the pill and looked at Holy Fire Spirit Lord.
She, warming herself by the brazier, shook her head upon seeing it and said,
“That elixir seems more useful to you martial artists. No need to give it to this old woman.”
With her refusal, two Small Return Pills remained in Mok Kyung-un’s hand.
Seop Chun said to him,
“My lord, these are the elixirs you obtained. Consume both.”
Mong Mu-yak chimed in,
“Seop Chun is right. Please take them all, my lord.”
The stronger their lord grew, the better for them.
But Mok Kyung-un suddenly looked at them and—
*Tok! Tok!*
—tossed the remaining pills, one to each.
Seop Chun and Mong Mu-yak caught them in stunned silence and said,
“My lord, why?”
“Why give these to us?”
“I don’t need them.”
“My lord, we know your martial arts have advanced, but two Small Return Pills grant twenty years of cultivation. How can you pass up...”
“It’s fine. You two need them most.”
“H-how?”
“So you’ll be more useful.”
At Mok Kyung-un’s words, Seop Chun and Mong Mu-yak’s pupils trembled.
The words “more useful” barely registered.
They had been grateful and content with just one each.
But for him to give them the two that were essentially his share on top of that—they were truly moved.
‘...Our lord truly cherishes us.’
‘How many could yield such treasures to subordinates, even if younger? His capacity is immense.’
They weren’t the only surprised ones.
Ma Ra-hyeon and Ja Geum-jeong also came to see Mok Kyung-un in a new light, watching him share the remaining elixirs without hesitation.
Most had followed him not entirely by choice, ever wary of being used and discarded.
Yet from protecting even a mere strange bird at Shaolin to this generous sharing of precious elixirs, their view of him gradually shifted.
As their gazes toward Mok Kyung-un grew more favorable, Cheongryeong smirked and said,
-Did you plan this?
-Would you believe me if I said it was pure goodwill?
-As if you’d do that.
Mok Kyung-un shrugged at her words.
If it was whimsy, it was whimsy—he wasn’t one for goodwill.
-At any rate, you boosted their loyalty by giving away something useless to you. Good value.
To Mok Kyung-un, whose foundation was death qi, Shaolin’s life-nurturing elixirs held no meaning.
He had simply made apt use of needless elixirs.
-The more useful cards, the better.
-...
At Mok Kyung-un’s words, Cheongryeong inwardly felt pleased.
Did this child notice his own changes?
As a vengeful spirit, he distrusted humans more than she did, making relationships his particular weakness.
Yet he was gradually forming bonds and leading a group adeptly.
Revenge remained his priority, but this was undeniably positive growth.
-Hic!
Cheongryeong suddenly stiffened.
What was that just now?
Beyond pride in his change, an inexplicable emotion welled up.
This unfamiliar feeling was one she had known only in life.