Namgung Family #1
"I'm going insane! Eating a yodan without a shred of fear...!"
"Is it really that dangerous?"
"Even seasoned masters fall into qi deviation if they swallow one!"
"Gasp!"
Real talk?
"For real?!"
"You idiot! How can you be so pathetic? You're a complete fool! Unbelievable!"
Okhwa Geom pounded her chest in frustration, venting her rage. Fine, I got it—yodan is poison, and eating it fucks you up, just like she said. But I was perfectly fine. Hell, I even gained inner energy from it.
"Fairy, calm down. But I was totally okay. My inner energy even increased."
"...Oh. Now that you mention it."
Okhwa Geom, who had been thumping her chest, looked at me. She brushed her lips with her hand, staring at my face like she was dissecting it, then slowly circled around me, bending down to inspect every inch of my body.
"This is peculiar. Did you really eat a yodan?"
"Yes."
"And you gained inner energy from it?"
"To explain the exact situation..."
Since yodan being poison was confirmed, Okhwa Geom's intel as a superior master was gold. I recounted how I'd gone to exterminate the high demon, caught the clan leader, and absorbed its inner core.
"I see. So that's why a ronin like you had built-up inner energy."
"It was a stroke of fortune. I thought I'd grabbed the luck of the heavens when I saw that inner core."
"Recklessness born of ignorance... Sigh. How can there be such a pitiful man?"
Okhwa Geom let out a deep sigh.
"Understood. Since there are no apparent issues, I can conclude for now that you, Geun-hyeop, might have a unique constitution."
"Unique constitution!"
Me, with a unique constitution!
"Don't tell me it's the Heavenly Martial Body!"
"What's that supposed... Sigh. Whatever it is, it's not confirmed yet. Problems could arise suddenly. Yodan is poison. Understand? Even if unexpected side effects hit out of nowhere, you'll have to deal with it."
"Th-then what should I do?"
"Follow me."
"Pardon?"
Follow her?
"You've saved my life, so I'll repay that debt. We'll go to the main house, have a skilled physician check your pulse. That way, we can judge more accurately if there's a problem, and if there is, we'll focus on treating it."
"Oh! Thank you!"
This was a relief! Honestly, the moment I heard yodan was poison, I nearly shit myself and collapsed. I'd swallowed poison without a clue—like a caveman chowing down on pufferfish. But now she'd examine me properly and even treat me? I was genuinely touched.
"No issues for now, so nothing more to do. I'll give you a preliminary pulse check myself shortly."
"I'd be grateful!"
"Then let's wrap things up."
"Yes!"
We went back to check on the fallen warriors. Most had internal injuries and were unconscious, but by now some had come to. They were all meditating to heal their wounds. Pirija the Great Hero was the same. Once everyone recovered, we could finish the job.
"Hey! Jae Mi-son! You fucking nailed it! That last freakish spear toss was spot-on!"
"Kuk kuk, who knew it'd actually work. You're a total lunatic."
"A real man stakes his life, he makes shit happen."
"Gotta admit it..."
Jae Mi-son grinned slyly.
"Heard you ate the yodan?"
"Yeah. But..."
"Kick... You're a moron. Even with luck, yodan sends you straight to qi deviation."
"No, I'm telling you, I'm fine!"
"Truly bizarre... Surviving yodan unscathed? Never heard of it. You're the madman I recognized."
Was I really unique? I took a light breather with Jae Mi-son. Midway, I mentioned heading to the Namgung family for my reward, and the guy got super jealous.
"No way!"
Right then, Okhwa Geom shouted.
"Fairy!"
Wondering what was up, I rushed over. She was examining the sorcerer's corpse I'd killed earlier.
What had she found?
"What is it, Fairy!"
"This sorcerer... It wasn't a living person. It was a jiangshi."
"What? A jiangshi?"
I checked the corpse. Dressed like some Taoist, skull staff in hand—total freak. But a jiangshi, not human?
"I don't know much, but aren't jiangshi just hopping zombies? You know, the bouncy ones."
"Those are low-level ones. This sorcerer was a huan-hon jiangshi, capable of more refined movements. And it had opened the Ghost Gate? From fighting it firsthand, it was skilled in sorcery too."
"Yes, it was."
"This is utterly impossible. A mere jiangshi riffraff opening the Ghost Gate to summon a Demon Rakshasa? No way."
But it happened.
"So what, this was some super jiangshi? Or its creator's a big deal?"
"Exactly."
Okhwa Geom looked at me gravely.
"That being could craft jiangshi like this."
"That being?"
"The Death Immortal Woman, Cheong-mi-in."
"Death Immortal Woman, Cheong-mi-in!"
Death Immortal Woman?!
"Who the hell is she?!"
"A witch of legendary infamy in the Central Plains, shaking the world with her transcendent evil. Cruel and sadistic, she's committed every atrocity imaginable—designated a public enemy of the Central Plains."
"Public enemy of the Central Plains!"
Not just Murim, but the whole Central Plains?!
"The Death Immortal Woman has sparked countless blood tribulations, creating hordes of jiangshi in the process. Her sorcery could produce one like this. But that staff..."
Okhwa Geom pointed to the skull staff.
"The thick blood aura from that goljang marks it as a Blood Cult artifact, clearly."
"Blood Cult...!"
Blood Cult artifact!
"But it's strange. The Death Immortal Woman opposed the Blood Cult. Have they allied? If so, we're in deep shit."
I didn't know the details, but it looked deadly serious. Her pretty face was all scrunched up. The Blood Cult were batshit evil—psychos dreaming of drowning the world in blood. And this Death Immortal Woman witch was transcendently vile. If they teamed up? Catastrophe incoming. A massive fucking one.
"This is bad. Real bad."
I came to close a labyrinth, and now this? Fighting Demon Rakshasas, ties to Blood Cult and Death Immortal Woman. Bad vibes all around. Linking with Namgung family was great, but this didn't feel like it'd end normally. Was I caught in some conspiracy vortex?
"Urgh...! Lady! Are you alright?!"
A recovered Ha-cheon Company warrior said.
"I'm fine. Hurry and continue your meditation. I'll stand guard."
"Thank you!"
"It's only right."
We rested until all the warriors recovered.
* * *
Afterward, we collected the corpses, grabbed spoils like the Demon Rakshasa's great sword and the sorcerer's skull staff, and exited the labyrinth. Ha-cheon Company dead would be escorted home. The fallen ronins inside got buried nearby. Survivors got silver payouts. Word was, the dead ronins' shares would be investigated via Haengdo Sect linkage by Namgung family, then paid to families. Even for ronins, honoring contracts like this skyrocketed my trust in Okhwa Geom even higher.
Namgung Serin was a true fairy.
"Alright, Jae Mi-son. Head back safe. Catch you later."
Jae Mi-son got a fat reward for his last assist. But I'd done the heavy lifting, so only I was off for mine.
"Kuk kuk, tell me all about it when you get back."
"Will do."
After parting with Jae Mi-son, I went to Okhwa Geom.
"Ready to depart."
"Yes. Board the carriage."
"Pardon?"
Carriage?
"I can't leave my weary benefactor behind. Need to check your pulse anyway—get in."
"Uh, uh..."
"Surely you won't refuse the honor of riding with Okhwa Geom herself?"
"No!"
Quick glance around—no weird stares. I boarded as told.
"Oh."
A maid inside, statue-still. Doll-like silence. Thought to greet, but she didn't, so I stayed quiet. Okhwa Geom boarded soon after, and we rolled out.
"..."
But damn. Sharing this tiny carriage with Okhwa Geom... Tension city. Big time.
"Hm? What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Just tired."
"Makes sense after that battle."
"Yeah. Uh, I'm covered in blood—is that okay?"
"I'm bloody too, so no issue."
"Thanks for understanding."
"By the way. That yodan—you really plan to consume it?"
"Ah."
I'd pocketed the Demon Rakshasa's yodan. No rush to eat it, though. I was fine before, but poison's poison.
"Planning to be more careful."
"So you do intend to."
"Yes."
Quit it? No way. Even knowing it's poison, the clan leader's core boosted my energy. For me, yodan was treasure. From a mighty Demon Rakshasa, no less. Imagining the power-up made my greed explode. Plus, when I slashed it earlier, purple sparks flew from my sword—my inner energy. Craving more. Couldn't resist.
"Humans absorbing yodan... Rare as hell, far as I know. Don't recommend it. Lucked out last time, but who knows this round."
She spoke with genuine worry. Grateful, but no way I'd ditch it.
"Oh my. Geun-hyeop, your eyes."
"Huh?"
"Once a warrior tastes an inner core, he's hooked forever. Even I, who's consumed countless elixirs, crave more."
"Heh heh, common ground."
Who'd pass this up?
"Natural to risk it. But safer to learn your constitution first, no?"
"That's the plan. After pulse check confirms safe, then I'll eat."
"Hee hee, wise."
Her eyes crinkled. I nearly swallowed hard. Humanly too pretty? And this close in tight space, her figure hit like a truck. Recalling the horny Demon Rakshasa groping her verbally—mostly curves. Yup, lust-bait body. Breasts so huge they strained her combat robes. Plus, pure aura wafting off her, soft scent... Mood shifting weird.
"Whew, hot in here."
Then she tugged her robe's front. Hoped for a peek—thankfully, modest fit.
"Anyway, Geun-hyeop."
"Yes."
"How long do you plan to ogle my body? Pervert? My chest is tingling."
"No, what?! When did I! Misunderstanding!"
"Hee hee, kidding."
What savage joke!
"Anyway. Got a story to beat this heat?"
"Right away!"
Better divert before pervert label sticks!