Chapter 23
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: I'll Handle It
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"Dusik."
Dusik, who had been diligently loading trash onto the cart, spotted me and greeted me with a booming voice.
"Scholar Cheon! Good to see you!"
His formal bow made me chuckle.
"Yeah. I hear you've been working hard lately?"
"I've got a lot of mouths to feed. Gotta do something to put food on the table."
I nodded at the sheepish, blockheaded Dusik.
"Good. You look great doing it. Keep protecting this street like this, and it'll be under Dusik's watch."
A thug who couldn't even collect stall fees from the merchants couldn't play lord of the street—but words like that still brightened Dusik's face.
"And did you look into that group searching for the young girl?"
"We've been keeping eyes on the street nonstop, but we haven't seen anyone like that on North Street. But..."
Dusik stepped closer and spoke up.
"I did hear from the West Street folks that they spotted a group chasing a girl."
"What?"
"They said it was a girl around ten or so, with some women protecting her as they fled."
"When?"
"A few days back."
I tilted my head.
'Not searching for a girl, but chasing one?'
A picture started forming in my mind.
'The North Sea Ice Palace lost their Ice Sacred Body bearer and made a replacement. But why? What's the reason? Those women protecting the girl must be from the North Sea Ice Palace.'
A question arose.
'At this point, could the White Tiger Unit or Inspection Unit really not know? Or...?'
As I sank into thought, one of Dusik's men stumbled while carrying trash.
"Whoa!"
"You okay?"
"Twisted my ankle."
Dusik spoke to the limping man.
"Go see the Saintess. Treatment's free there."
"Boss, the Saintess's clinic's been shut down for days now. It's empty like they've all left. One of our boys went today and came back empty-handed."
That struck like lightning in my mind.
'Women protecting a girl, the Saintess who arrived in Hefei a year ago, a clinic staffed only by women.'
A few keywords swirled, painting one conclusion.
'What an idiot. I didn't think deeply enough. A little suspicion would've revealed it. Jong Sobin might be from the North Sea Ice Palace.'
I revised my plan to head straight to them. I'd stop by the clinic first to confirm my guess.
'Checking the clinic first will be fine.'
I called over the burly guy with the sprained ankle.
"Come here. I'll needle you."
"I'm fine."
He shrank back, uncomfortable with me treating him.
"Leave it, and you could tear a ligament."
At my firm tone, he approached.
I pulled out the acupuncture case I always carried, needled his ankle, and infused spirit energy to relax the shocked muscles.
I removed the needles, and he looked amazed.
"Scholar Cheon, my ankle doesn't hurt at all."
"Walk on it."
He walked normally, and Dusik's men bowed in unison.
"Thank you, Scholar Cheon."
I called to Dusik.
"Dusik, collect one coin stall fee per shop on this street yourself."
"Huh? Isn't that the Nangong Family's cut?"
"It's fine. I'll tell the young master. But don't raise the fees—just collect that much."
One coin a month beat nothing.
With hundreds of shops and stalls on North Street, it'd add up nicely.
"Collect fees, clean trash, run errands—you'll eat well enough."
"Thank you, Scholar Cheon."
"And if anyone too big for you eyes this street, tell me."
"Got it, Scholar Cheon."
"I'm off."
"Take care."
Dusik and his men kept bowing until the scholar was out of sight.
"Scholar Cheon is a master, a divine healer who cures in one go, and he even looks after lowly folks like us."
Dusik murmured, moved.
The burly one who'd been needled chimed in.
"I was nervous fighting off other gangs to protect the street, but since Scholar Cheon came, no one's dared touch North Street. It's peaceful."
Another subordinate added,
"Of course. The others came a few times and got wrecked by Scholar Cheon."
Dusik declared proudly,
"Back then, he said it: 'Dusik owns North Street. Don't touch it.' That's when I made him my lord in my heart."
"Don't say that out loud. Us riffraff hanging around him would only cause trouble."
"Obviously."
To Dusik and his crew, Scholar Cheon was an idol and a hero.
I unleashed the movement technique I'd mastered as I approached Jong Sobin's clinic.
I leaped onto the roof, then dropped silently into the back yard.
Not a sound—light as could be.
Internal energy movement arts expelled energy from the Yongquan point on the sole, pushing the body but unable to fully negate weight.
Hence the faint noise.
But spirit energy enveloped the whole body, allowing perfect weight control.
That's why, back at the Murim Alliance, I ignored the Nine Great Sects' techniques despite access.
'They didn't suit me. But I found one that did in the Murim Secret Repository.'
Nine Nether Ghostly Spirit Movement Technique.
This art was forgotten even in name across the jianghu.
The Ghostly Immortal, who once terrorized the martial world, created it using ghostly qi—elusive as a specter, earning infamy.
'It uses ghostly qi, but operates on a system akin to spirit energy—perfect for me.'
Reading its manual, I lived in shivers for days.
'It was made for me. I searched for the Ghostly Immortal's other arts, but found none.'
Lately, I'd pondered teaching it to Yeoseol.
But I hadn't hesitated on the Vault of Heaven Unfettered Sword Technique.
'Because it's the Nangong Family heirloom. As my disciple, even Nangong folk can't complain.'
Besides, this movement art showed naturally in combat, risking exposure.
'A young girl using advanced movement would draw eyes, and people would dig into Yeoseol's identity.'
I knew the jianghu's ways too well to ignore it.
She could learn it in a day or two if she wanted, so I'd decide without rush.
This huge clinic was eerily empty.
'No normal clinic shuts like this over personal issues.'
My guess hardened into certainty.
Searching rooms, I found only prescriptions—no key documents.
'Of course no important papers here.'
As I headed to another room, I sensed someone vaulting the wall.
I swiftly climbed a beam and hid my presence.
The Nine Nether Ghostly Spirit Technique outdid ghost arts, concealing me perfectly.
"This way."
Two people, each carrying one, entered my room.
It was the herb storage.
"Lay them here."
Looking closely, the Clear Heart Teahouse owner laid Jong Sobin on the floor.
Another woman placed a girl on the bed.
The girl seemed unconscious.
"Yeowon's okay, right?"
Jong Sobin asked, and Hwayeong replied.
"Yeowon's just exhausted and passed out. The Little Palace Lord's wound is the problem now."
The two women urgently treated Jong Sobin.
She had a gash on her thigh, deep enough blood wouldn't stop.
"Even pressure points aren't staunching it."
"Hit a wider area and compress with bandages."
Hwayeong spoke grimly.
"Little Palace Lord, I'll lure them away. Escape Hefei with Yeowon while you can. It's not just Elder Yu—the Blood Cult's after us too. If the Demonic Cult joins, we won't get away."
Hwayeong resolved to sacrifice herself for the Little Palace Lord.
"Third Protector, without Solar Meridian energy, I won't last anyway. Better to die fighting together than live pathetically."
Seeing the Little Palace Lord's resolve tore at Hwayeong's heart.
"I have a duty to protect you."
Jong Sobin smiled sadly at Hwayeong.
"Sister Hwayeong."
The childhood name made Hwayeong bite her lip—a habit when the Little Palace Lord dug in.
"We said we'd live together or die together. You think I can live well if you die? Return to the Ice Palace without you?"
Hwayeong squeezed her eyes shut.
She wanted to save the Little Palace Lord somehow, but she seemed set to fight to the death.
"You two take Yeowon and flee. Hwayeong and I stay."
"Little Palace Lord."
"Sister Hwayeong, saving Yeowon is how we hide the real Ice Sacred Body. If she dies here, they'll know she's just a fake who took Ice Essence. Even in the Nangong Family, it'll only buy time before they find the real one."
Listening cleared up the mystery.
'They are North Sea Ice Palace people. Yeoseol's the real Ice Sacred Body. And they know she's with me.'
No need to think further: to protect Yeoseol, save the fake.
That's why they planned to flee with her.
One lingering question.
'Knowing the Ice Sacred Body is with me, why pretend otherwise? I never sensed them around—not even Nangong Family.'
Somehow, they seemed to protect Yeoseol too.
I needed their reason.
As I dropped from the beam, everyone startled.
No one had sensed me—they panicked, clustering to guard Jong Sobin.
"Who are you?"
Hwayeong, having seen me at Clear Heart Teahouse, stayed calmest.
"Didn't know Scholar Cheon was here."
Jong Sobin looked at me and said,
"So the rumors are true. The Murim Alliance's secret weapon. I half-doubted the gossip, but now I know—it's real."
Anyone fooling her senses was beyond first-rate.
"You heard us?"
I nodded.
"Good. Take the girl and go. That's how you protect the one with you."
I replied,
"That's your job."
"You heard? Pursuers will track us here soon. Even if you're the Alliance's secret weapon, you can't handle all the Blood Cultists."
I stayed silent; Jong Sobin grew frustrated.
"You're so dense. Listen, Scholar Cheon—if you die, what happens to your girl? If you can't take this one, at least flee now."
"I'll handle the incoming ones."
She snorted in disbelief.
"Ugh, so stubborn. You can't alone. Not one or two—over ten Blood Cult elites. Each first-rate, several at peak."
I turned.
"The ones coming now are Blood Cultists?"
Jong Sobin felt nothing and glanced at Hwayeong—maybe her senses dulled from injury.
Hwayeong shook her head.
She hadn't sensed them either.
"Not ten—five."
They still sensed nothing, exchanging looks.
Moments later, a group vaulted the wall.
All in official robes.
I grinned at them.
"Blood Cultists dressing as constables these days?"
No wonder the White Tiger Unit or Inspection Unit missed them.
Disguised as constables and chief—who'd suspect?
The five Blood Cultists in constable garb advanced on Jong Sobin.