A Gentleman's Revenge is Best Served Now
When we entered the lodging, the pale-faced Deputy Leader lay unconscious on the bed.
"What on earth happened?"
"It seems... he suffered internal injuries."
"Internal injuries?"
Indeed, looking at the Deputy Leader's exterior, there were no signs of bleeding or torn clothing.
When I pulled back his clothes to check, a pitch-black, hand-shaped bruise stained the area near his flank.
As I leaned in to examine what kind of martial art could leave such a mark, Seonwoo Seol frowned and cried out.
"The Shadow Soul Undying Palm!"
"The Shadow Soul... what?"
"It's a palm technique that was lost decades ago. It's a demonic art that infuses corpse energy into the body to inflict deep internal damage... Why would the Deputy Leader be hit by this?"
Hearing Seonwoo Seol's explanation, I vaguely recalled seeing something about it in the medical texts written by my master, the Medicine Sage.
Corpse energy. They say even poison can be medicine if used correctly, but corpse energy, true to its name, was a corrupt force that could rarely be utilized in standard martial arts.
In other words, it was the energy of decay. It was typically found in large quantities in graveyards or places where slaughterhouse waste was discarded.
Just like the word 'decay' suggests, the more of this energy present, the faster things rotted.
The Shadow Soul Undying Palm was a demonic art that maliciously exploited this very effect.
By artificially infusing corpse energy into the body, it rotted the flesh and destroyed the meridians.
So, how to treat it?
First, expelling the corpse energy was the priority.
I placed my hand on the Deputy Leader's chest and attempted to channel my qi to see how far the corpse energy had spread.
Prick!
"Ouch, that stung!"
Holy crap. It felt like shoving my hand into a needle case packed with sharp needles.
As if warning me not to touch another's body without permission, the Deputy Leader's internal qi violently repelled my channeled energy with its defensive reflex.
I guess someone who climbed to the rank of Deputy Leader of the Hidden Shadow Unit does this even unconsciously.
"It seems that because the corpse energy is still lingering in his body, his system is rejecting any energy that isn't his own."
"Then what do we do?"
"I didn't want to resort to this, but... we'll have to use acupuncture and an elixir. Opening the meridians with needles and strengthening the Deputy Leader's own energy with an elixir should help push out the corpse energy."
Diagnosing by channeling qi was closer to a rapid test; using acupuncture and medicine was the proper, orthodox method.
"But there's one problem. While the acupuncture needles are in my room, I don't have any elixirs on me."
"An elixir... what grade does it need to be?"
"Just the bare minimum to be classified as an elixir. Something like a Bamboo Leaf Pill or a Qi-Stabilizing Powder."
"What about Mara Water?"
Heck. That was one of the Demonic Cult's most legendary elixirs. Not only did she have it, but she was offering it up just like that?
"Uh... that's actually too effective, but it should be fine if we dilute it. I'll go grab my needles first, so please prepare a bowl of purified water."
"Understood."
Although Seonwoo Seol's quarters and mine were both in the Seocheong-jogwan, they were quite far apart. Still, I ran as fast as I could to fetch Old Man Yakseon's needle case and medicinal moxa.
When I returned to Seonwoo Seol's room, she was holding a small gourd with a worried expression.
"Now, I will suppress the corpse energy using the heat and yang energy of the moxa while opening his meridians with acupuncture."
I sat in front of the bed where the Deputy Leader lay and opened the needle case.
"That needle case looks quite... antique."
I flinched at Seonwoo Seol's words as she closely examined Yakseon's needle case, which was adorned with ivory and silver.
"It wasn't originally mine. I inherited it."
"Its previous owner must have been a highly renowned physician."
"...You could say that."
Ugh, that was a clear slip-up. If rumors spread that I'm Yakseon's successor, I might get blasted with a Lion's Roar asking why I'm working as a chef instead of a physician. I'll have to swap this needle case for a different one later.
For now, I focused on treating the internal injury.
After stripping the Deputy Leader's upper body, I lit the moxa and placed it over his key meridians.
As the savory aroma of the moxa began to take effect, the Deputy Leader's expression visibly eased.
But this was only the beginning. I took the Mara Water from Seonwoo Seol and uncorked the stopper.
Fwoosh!
The moment I opened the stopper, a rich fragrance wafted out. Contrary to the name 'Mara,' it was an incredibly clear and refreshing scent.
Just dropping two or three drops into a bowl full of water would make it more potent than most medicinal herbs.
Next, I used a hollow reed to carefully drip the diluted Mara Water into the Deputy Leader's mouth, making sure it didn't go down the wrong pipe and cause him to choke.
Since the diluted Mara Water needed some time to take effect, I used this moment to perform acupuncture.
Recalling the techniques written in Yakseon's acupuncture manual, the Sacred Hand Flower Needle, I began to carefully insert the needles.
Just as I had inserted over a dozen needles...
"Cough, cough!"
The Deputy Leader suddenly snapped his eyes open and coughed up blood.
However, what he spat out was not bright red blood, but pitch-black, dead blood. Moreover, instead of a typical metallic tang, it carried a foul, rotten stench that made me want to pinch my nose.
Thank goodness. With the help of the diluted Mara Water and the acupuncture, the corpse energy had been successfully expelled through his mouth.
It seemed the turbid qi blocking his meridians had been purged along with it.
"Where... where is this...?"
Seeing the Deputy Leader looking at me with half-open eyes, I squeezed his hand tightly and spoke in a solemn tone.
"Deputy Leader... it is time... to go..."
Having only just regained consciousness, the Deputy Leader stared at me with a bewildered expression and opened his mouth.
"But... I still have a mission left...?"
"Cast off all the yokes and shackles of this world, and let us depart together to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss—ow!"
Smack!
"Stop playing around! He's actually going to believe you!"
Seonwoo Seol had punched me. It wasn't a light slap; she had thrown a genuine, clenched-fist punch. Wow, she really packs a wallop.
"I came here to treat someone, but now I'm the one who needs treatment."
"That's because you're saying such bizarre things to a patient with internal injuries!"
"With the Deputy Leader's level of cultivation, he would have eventually recovered on his own through meditation; it just would have taken longer. What I did simply sped up the process."
It wasn't as critically urgent as I had initially thought. Though, if his condition had been any worse, the corpse energy might have rotted his flesh away in chunks.
Well, either way, Seonwoo Seol did a good job worrying so much about her subordinate.
"Hmph."
Her voice turning into a pout, Seonwoo Seol looked at the Deputy Leader with concern and spoke.
"Deputy Leader, are you really back to your senses?"
Seeing Seonwoo Seol and her maid, the Deputy Leader replied with a relieved expression.
"Pardon? Ah, yes... This isn't the underworld, is it?"
"Yes. It's the quarters of the Socheonma, who is far scarier than the Grim Reaper. Oh, and don't get up just yet. I'm not done with the needles."
To fully expel the corpse energy, I needed to open a few more meridians.
While I was inserting the needles, Seonwoo Seol questioned the Deputy Leader.
"What on earth happened? How did you get hit by the Shadow Soul Undying Palm?"
"...So that single strike was indeed the Shadow Soul Undying Palm."
A bitter expression crossed the Deputy Leader's face as if he had realized something. He hesitated several times before speaking.
"It seems the men with the axe tattoos you are looking for, Young Cult Leader, belong to the Double Axe Sect."
"The Double Axe Sect?"
"They are unorthodox scoundrels who operate near Northern Yuan and Liaodong. I suspect they have crept down to Hebei, taking advantage of the recent chaos in the Murim."
"If they are unorthodox, aren't they part of the Four Blood Alliance?"
"As you well know, Milady... due to the massacre a few years ago and the Alliance Leader's lukewarm response, the entire Four Blood Alliance has been fracturing. Especially since they are unorthodox, maintaining control over them is inherently difficult."
The massacre the Deputy Leader referred to was a slaughter that had occurred in a remote region of Northern Yuan, north of the Central Plains.
An unidentified group had slaughtered a village of ordinary civilians, and the sheer brutality of it was beyond words.
Based on the methods used, it was suspected to be the work of one of the unorthodox sects under the Four Blood Alliance. However, the Alliance itself didn't even conduct a proper investigation, brushing it off as groundless rumors.
Instead of conducting a thorough investigation to root out the culprits, they simply washed their hands of it, saying, "Well, it wasn't us anyway." Naturally, the smaller sects and unorthodox factions in the vicinity rose up like wildfire.
Since then, all sorts of incidents had occurred—unorthodox sects under the Four Blood Alliance withdrew and caused trouble, and nearby righteous sects protested against admitting students from the Alliance into the academy.
"Most of the Double Axe Sect's members are merely second-class martial artists, but they have one man who is considered a great arch-demon."
"So, you fought against him?"
"...I was suddenly ambushed, but after exchanging about forty blows, I hastily retreated."
"Deputy Leader, excuse my interruption, but did you manage to land a blow on him?"
At my question, the Deputy Leader nodded.
"...Yes. Although I was struck by the Shadow Soul Undying Palm, he must have suffered a severe wound to his abdomen."
Flesh for bone. He had strictly adhered to the principle of sacrificing his own flesh to carve out the enemy's bone.
As expected of a Deputy Leader of the Demonic Cult. He's got grit.
"I apologize for causing trouble, Young Cult Leader."
"No, we should be grateful you returned alive. However, the identity of the man who struck you is the real concern."
"It is likely not the Corpse Demon who disappeared decades ago, but rather someone who inherited his legacy."
Having inherited Yakseon's legacy myself, I flinched. Why couldn't that guy inherit a nice legacy instead of one from a guy with 'Corpse' literally in his title?
"He probably couldn't have gone far. Their base is at the Hyeondong Merchant Guild..."
"What? Which guild?"
"The Hyeondong Merchant Guild?"
Why on earth was the Hyeondong Merchant Guild popping up here...?
Seonwoo Seol, who knew about the incident where the Hyeondong Merchant Guild had failed to deliver proper ingredients, wore a similar expression to mine.
"Socheonma, do you happen to have the portrait Gye-yeong drew?"
"The portrait? Yes, I do..."
At my request, Socheonma pulled out one of the papers she had left on the table and showed it to me.
"Here it is."
"Deputy Leader, did you happen to see this man inside the Hyeondong Merchant Guild?"
"Hmm?"
Geum Ho, who didn't have a single friend inside the academy, wouldn't suddenly meet a stranger.
If so, there was a high probability he was in contact with someone he had met while working as the Head Chef of the Inner Dining Hall.
The Deputy Leader narrowed his eyes, studying the paper closely, before nodding as if recognizing the face.
"I have seen him. This man was standing right next to the one who appeared to be the Corpse Demon's disciple."
"Are you certain?"
"Judging by the portrait, he has a very common face, but there is no way such a common-looking man just happened to be standing next to that demon by coincidence."
The Deputy Leader was right.
What were the chances that a mere lookalike just happened to be at the Hyeondong Merchant Guild, standing right next to the suspected disciple of a great arch-demon? Zero.
That guy was undoubtedly the one who had met with Geum Ho.
There was no need to hesitate; we had to go find out immediately.
Especially since the Deputy Leader had already landed a heavy blow on him, he wouldn't have been able to flee far.
After retrieving the needles from the Deputy Leader's body, I immediately stood up.
"Socheonma, let's go."
"Pardon? Where are we going?"
"We are going to the Hyeondong Merchant Guild right now."
"But it's still working hours...!"
"I'll take the responsibility!"
When I suddenly grabbed Seonwoo Seol's hand and pulled her along, she flinched in surprise and stared blankly at my face.
We need to go right now, why is she hesitating?
"I said, let's go!"
"A-Alright! Let's go together! Nan-gae, just in case, contact the Fierce Tiger Squad and have them deploy to the Hyeondong Merchant Guild! Make sure to mention there's a great arch-demon there!"
"Yes, Milady!"
Seonwoo Seol and I slipped out of the lodging and headed toward the Hyeondong Merchant Guild located outside the academy.
"Huff, huff... Oh, my lungs."
Having sprinted all the way to the vicinity of the Hyeondong Merchant Guild, I bent over, clutching my knees, and panted heavily.
Whether she found me pitiful or embarrassing, Seonwoo Seol pressed a hand to her forehead and let out a deep sigh.
"...Next time, please learn a movement technique. Even one of the basic ones taught at the academy is fine."
"I really... huff... need to learn one. Ugh."
Before some clickbait YouTube wrecker channel uploaded a video about me, I really needed to learn one.
Seriously, what was Old Man Yakseon doing leaving me with no movement techniques in that cave?
Having barely caught my breath, I began heading toward the outer branch of the Hyeondong Merchant Guild when I felt a subtle prickling sensation at the back of my neck.
According to my danger sensor, someone was watching me.
I stopped dead in my tracks and barked out.
"Come out!"
I shouted it with the exact same energy as someone yelling into an empty house when turning on the lights.
"What's wrong all of a sudden?"
"I said, come out!"
Seonwoo Seol looked at me like I was losing my mind, seeing as there was absolutely no one around.
No, seriously, there's a wiretap in my ear... wait, no, I mean, someone is definitely watching us.
I pulled out the needle case I had packed earlier from my sleeve and swiftly slipped several needles between my fingers.
And then...
Thwip, thwip!
I unleashed the Sacred Hand Flower Needle technique toward the bushes where I felt the gaze.
"Argh!"
"Oh my?"
Seonwoo Seol gasped in surprise when a pained grunt echoed from a place that should have been empty.
See? I told you. Someone was definitely spying on us.
Just as I was about to dash forward to drag the hidden spy out of the bushes...
Screeeech!
A shrill whistle blew from within the bushes, and immediately, a group of thugs came charging from a distance.
There had to be at least fifteen of them.
However, judging by their clumsy running postures and reckless movements, they were mere second-class martial artists—worse than the senior students at the academy.
"You arrogant bastards finally showed up!"
The guy leading the pack spat out curses, huffing and puffing.
He looked familiar. Especially with that dark purple bruise over one of his eyes.
Isn't that the guy who got sent flying by Seonwoo Seol while he was beating up Gye-yeong?
Just as they were about to surround and trap us...
Seonwoo Seol bent her knees slightly and clenched her fists.
Whoosh!
Launching herself forward with speed so blinding it could easily be mistaken for the Shifting Steps technique, Seonwoo Seol thrust her fist straight toward the leader.
"Gyah!"
Screaming like a dying animal, the guy who had just been cursing at us went flying backward, taking another thug down with him.
Since Seonwoo Seol had thrown the first punch, the chances of resolving this with words were officially zero.
I stepped forward to back her up.
It didn't matter why they had been spying on us from the bushes, or why they had blown the whistle to call for backup.
We could just beat them up first and ask questions later.