Protecting What is Mine

Dawn at Hyangsan.

The students, instructors, and head tutors who had come out for the outdoor survival training had all descended to the academy, as they would only get in the way of the search operation. Only frightened animals and silent plants remained in the mountains.

A group of martial artists surrounded the desolate Hyangsan. Slowly, very slowly, they were tightening the noose around their prey.

It might sound overly emotional, but my head was colder than anyone else's here. And for good reason.

"Ch-Chef Yoon."

"What."

"Your... your energy. The aura..."

"What about it?"

A trembling Man Hanseok grabbed my shoulder and spoke, but I had no idea what he was talking about.

"It goes beyond soaring murderous intent; it's about to reach the Jade Emperor himself."

"...Pardon?"

"He means you're giving off enough bloodlust to look like you're about to murder someone," Seonwoo Seol added.

Only after hearing Oh Waja and Seonwoo Seol did I snap out of it.

"..."

Calm down, calm down. Getting worked up like this would only hinder the search.

I wiped my face and suppressed my bloodlust. I saw the expressions of Man Hanseok and Seonwoo Seol, who had been facing it, ease up.

All sorts of complicated, dark thoughts rushed into my mind.

Scratches, minor cuts, light wounds, severe injuries... critical condition, and even death.

Had those two been hurt? If they were, how should I, with my medical knowledge, treat them?

My mind spun so fast it made me dizzy.

Even as I frantically recalled the contents of my medical texts, I didn't stop spreading my sensory perception wide to search the area.

The only thing that could cure this rotten mood was indiscriminate violence.

With that thought, as we reached Yeorae Waterfall and Dosol Pond, which had been the first-years' campsite, I felt a very, very faint trace of something.

For a moment, I wondered if I had picked up the presence of the Beggars' Sect members who had gathered, but the distance made that impossible. And the nature of the energy was different.

It wasn't the refreshing, open internal energy of the Beggars' Sect, but something gloomy, stagnant, and foul.

As I stopped in my tracks and spread my sensory perception further, Oh Waja nodded.

"So you noticed too?"

"I felt a tickling sensation... Is there a building near here?"

"If it's here... above the waterfall, there is a small hermitage called Yuinwon."

"That's the place."

The three rogues must have tried to escape Hyangsan, but failed because the dragnet was deployed so quickly. Even for martial artists, transporting two children while breaking through a tight perimeter would be incredibly difficult. They must have headed to the small hermitage, the only place where they could hide.

Right now, I wanted to use the Mad Dog Avoiding Steps to leap up to that hermitage in a single breath and smash the faces of those three remaining bastards.

But the two children being held hostage were the problem.

"How do you think this will play out?"

"If they have strong backing, they'll call for reinforcements to create chaos, then break through the perimeter and take the kids."

"And if they have no outside help... they'll probably..."

"Yes, we'll have to rescue them directly."

Oh Waja's words meant that the search ended here. Now that we knew the location of the three rogues and the two students, we had to execute a rescue operation.

I was worried. Were the two children safe?

"What shall we do? I think a pincer attack from two sides would be best."

"Wouldn't a diversion be better in this case?"

Oh Waja's 'two-sided' approach meant attacking the three rogues from both sides. If we took them on individually, we could crush them before they had time to group up.

Seonwoo Seol's 'diversion' meant splitting into a group of two and one. One would act as a decoy to draw attention, while the other two rescued the children.

The problem was that both were good methods. The only concern was the skill level of the three rogues, but with an Absolute Master like Oh Waja with us, even that wasn't a major issue.

I had to choose one, but which?

I needed to decide quickly and head up to Yuinwon, but it wasn't an easy choice. As I was agonizing over it...

"No...!"

A shrill, panicked cry. It was Gongson Yeongji's voice.

"Oh no!"

"We have to go right now!"

Every second counted.

Man Hanseok, who had a relatively lower cultivation realm, was to stay behind at Dosol Pond to guard the rear with the other Beggars' Sect members and the Fierce Tiger Squad.

Seonwoo Seol, Oh Waja, and I immediately unleashed our lightness skills, racing up the narrow path leading to Yuinwon at maximum speed.

And then, we saw it.

A somewhat familiar boy lay unconscious on the ground, and a man dressed in black was lifting Gongson Yeongji up by her collar.

"Ch-Chef Yoon...!"

Seeing Gongson Yeongji looking at me so pitifully... I couldn't hold back any longer.

"Seol, diversion!"

"Huh? Ah, right!"

Though I only uttered two words, Seonwoo Seol and Oh Waja understood instantly and dashed forward.

As I rushed toward Gongson Yeongji, a thought flashed through my mind. I had learned martial arts to survive in that cave, but my reason for continuing to train diligently until now wasn't anything grand. I did it simply because I had always done it, and because continuing was better than stopping. It was a purely habitual reason, but I had dedicated myself to it because the results were visible.

But my perspective had changed after hearing Seonwoo Seol's words.

'Why do you think you have nothing to lose, Chef Yoon?'

'If you were to disappear right now, there are countless people who would miss you and cherish your memory.'

'...At the very least, I hope you don't think you're in a position where you have nothing to lose.'

When I first fell into the Central Plains all alone, I could live however I pleased. But at some ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠point, my life became crowded with people. And because of that, I had a lot to lose. And once I held something in my hands, I refused to lose it.

To protect what was mine, martial arts were absolutely indispensable. No one was allowed to target what belonged to me.

Offering my inner greed as a sacrifice, I slammed my right foot hard against the ground. No, "stomped" would be a more fitting word. I stomped the ground with a powerful stomp, and my right fist immediately shot forward along with my foot.

A brilliant, golden astral fist qi—completely different in color from any qi I had channeled before—blazed upon my fist. It burned so brilliantly that I wondered if this fist qi was truly mine, but that didn't matter right now.

The moment I saw panic flicker in the bastard's eyes, I thrust my fist straight toward his jaw.

Crack!

I felt the flesh of the face hidden beneath his mask compress against my knuckles, but that sensation lasted only a split second.

"Argh!"

Unable to withstand the destructive force packed into my fist, the bastard flew in the opposite direction, completely letting go of Gongson Yeongji's collar. At the same time, Gongson Yeongji was tossed into the air.

In that brief instant, my eyes met Gongson Yeongji's as she floated in midair. Her eyes were wide with sheer shock. I immediately kicked off the ground, leaped up, and caught her.

"Ch-Chef Yoon...!"

"I'm sorry. You must have been terrified."

Gongson Yeongji, her face still pale with tension, was trembling like a leaf. As I held her close to calm her down, I scanned our surroundings. Seonwoo Seol was already holding the unconscious Yoo Jeoksan in her arms.

As for Oh Waja, he had captured another man, while the bastard I had punched was rolling unsightly on the ground. Seeing him twitch, he seemed to still be alive. I'd have to stomp on him some more later.

Meanwhile, Oh Waja, holding the other rogue by the throat with one hand, asked in a low, sinking voice.

"Where did you bastards come from?"

"..."

When the man remained silent, Oh Waja ripped off his mask without hesitation.

"Urgh!"

"...You look familiar."

"..."

The moon, which had been briefly obscured by clouds, revealed itself fully once more. Oh Waja's eyes widened in shock as the moonlight illuminated the man's face.

"You... could it be... Jong Oh? Is that you, Jong Oh?"

"Elder Oh, you still remember my name."

The man called Jong Oh spoke, completely unfazed by the grip tightening around his throat.

"You were once a promising talent of the Beggars' Sect! Why on earth did you commit such an atrocity?!"

"It's a common story, Elder Oh."

Sssss...

A strangely familiar sound echoed from him. This was...

"He lit a fuse!"

At Seonwoo Seol's warning shout, Oh Waja stared at Jong Oh in sheer panic. Jong Oh uttered one last phrase as he pulled something out of his sleeve.

"This is revenge."

What he pulled out of his sleeve was a round, fist-sized object. A ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠white fuse was attached to it, and the sparks had almost completely consumed it. The object in Jong Oh's hand was a forbidden weapon that should never have appeared in the Murim.

A Thunderbolt Bomb.

"Jong Oh, you crazy bastard...!"

With a panicked shout, Oh Waja leaped high into the air, and in that instant, the world was dyed in pure white. All I could do was instinctively pull Gongson Yeongji tightly into my embrace and curl my body over her.

With a deafening explosion that made my ears ring, I lost consciousness.

"No, not there. A little more to the left, argh!"

"Stop being such a baby!"

"The Little Heavenly Demon is trying to kill me!"

"How is this my fault?!"

She was applying a secret ointment of the Demonic Cult to my back. I didn't know what they put in it, but it stung like absolute hell.

"Seriously, what is this ointment made of that it stings this much?"

"I'm not a physician, so how should I know? There, now I just need to wrap the bandages."

As Seonwoo Seol wrapped the bandages tightly from my shoulder down to my flank, she fell silent for a moment.

"Hmm... Your back is quite firm, isn't it?"

"I told you to wrap the bandages, not inspect my body."

"Does looking at it wear it down?"

"It's one silver liang per look."

"How stingy. I won't look then."

While Seonwoo Seol grumbled and wrapped the bandages, Gongson Yeongji watched from the side with worried eyes.

"Are you... really okay...?"

"I was just exaggerating earlier. I'm fine now. Isn't this level of injury basic for a martial artist?"

To show her I was perfectly fine, I tried to raise both arms to flex my muscles, but that only caused the ointment to seep deeper into the wounds.

"Aaargh."

"Chef Yoon..."

"No, it's just that the ointment suddenly stung really hard. I'm fine, really."

Gongson Yeongji looked at me even more pitifully, but aside from the intense stinging, I really was fine.

To summarize what happened right after the Thunderbolt Bomb exploded: when I opened my eyes, Gongson Yeongji and Seonwoo Seol were crying their eyes out, asking if I was okay. I was flustered, and the pain in my back made it hard to think straight.

Because the bomb had exploded at close range, I had sustained burns from the gunpowder flames that had scorched my martial robes. However, given the sensitivity of the situation, we couldn't bring in the academy's physician to maintain secrecy. In a tent set up for the outdoor survival training, Seonwoo Seol was administering emergency treatment using gold sore ointment and salves she had brought just in case.

Although the Demonic Cult's ointment was highly effective for scrapes and burns, I wondered if it would leave a slight scar. But well, it wasn't like I got hurt out of carelessness. Getting a scar while saving Gongson Yeongji was perfectly fine. You could even call it a badge of honor.

While I was being treated, shouts echoed from the adjacent tent.

"Aigoo, you brat! Gently! Gently!"

"Director, please bear with it just a little longer."

"Chef Yoon! Please, take this bear of a guy away! His hands are absolutely terrible, terrible!"

Hearing Oh Waja screaming that he was dying, I couldn't help but burst into laughter. It seemed Man Hanseok, who didn't have much to do, had volunteered to nurse him and was applying the ointment. Regardless of how well Man Hanseok wielded his spear, his hands were rather clumsy, which explained the current disaster. He really was like a bear.

Even though Oh Waja was the one closest ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to the Thunderbolt Bomb when it went off, he had fewer burns than I did. Though he was tearing up because half his hair had been singed off, crying, "How am I supposed to face my ancestors!", it was a miracle his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠body was completely fine.

"Still, it's hard to believe he only sustained those minor injuries."

"...It's probably thanks to his Protective Astral Qi, right?"

At Seonwoo Seol's explanation, I slapped my knee. Just as I channeled fist qi to increase the durability of my knuckles, an Absolute Master could wrap astral qi around their body like armor for protection. This was called Protective Astral Qi.

Of course, even Protective Astral Qi wasn't invincible, so Oh Waja still had to suffer some wounds.

"Even so, to only suffer light burns when a Thunderbolt Bomb exploded right beneath him..."

"That's why he's an Absolute Master. Seeing the Northern Hall Director so unscathed, don't you want to become an Absolute Master too?"

"...Maybe a little?"

I couldn't deny Seonwoo Seol's question. If I had been just a bit stronger, perhaps no one would have been hurt. That thought did linger in my mind.

"Aigoo, Chef Yoon will have to take a look at me later. That fellow's hands are incredibly rough."

Oh Waja grumbled as he walked into our tent.

"His skills might be lacking, but he's a meticulous kid, so I'm sure he applied it thoroughly."

Now that our temporary treatment was finished, Oh Waja and I decided to head down to the underground cellar of Yuinwon alone. In the basement where Gongson Yeongji and Yoo Jeoksan had been held, two men were tied up securely. They were the culprits of this incident, subdued by trustworthy Beggars' Sect members.

One was the bastard who had grabbed Gongson Yeongji by the collar and taken my punch straight to the face, and the other was the one who had collapsed after being kicked in the groin by Yoo Jeoksan.

As for the man named Jong Oh... well, one could easily guess what happened to him without being told. You could say he had turned to dust and vanished.

Oh Waja, wrapped tightly in bandages, approached the man I had punched and asked in a heavy voice.

"Why did you target those two children?"

"...I won'th tell you."

"What?"

"I think... he said he won't tell us."

The bastard had taken a full-force punch infused with the essence of the Baekyak-gwonkyeol Third Stage straight to the face. As a result, half his teeth were completely gone, and his pronunciation was so slurred that his words were barely intelligible. Despite his face being swollen into an unlucky imitation of Two-Face, he answered in a dead serious voice.

"...A thea of blood will engulf the Murim."

And then, he opened his mouth wide, preparing to bite down hard.

"...!"

That action—he was trying to bite a poison core.

Whack!

I threw a punch without hesitation, and the bastard went limp, unable to offer any resistance.

"Chef Yoon, what on earth are you doing?"

"Didn't you see? He was clearly trying to bite a poison core..."

"I already took out his poison core while he was unconscious."

"Pardon?"

With those words, Oh Waja produced a small pill from a pouch hanging at his waist.

Ah, you should have told me earlier. Now it just looks like I hit him out of pure spite.

As I scratched my head and glanced at the other guy tied up next to him, that guy shrieked and yelled:

"I'll talk! I'll talk! Please, just don't hit me!"

Uh... I guess this works out?