Chapter 137
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 137
Chapter Title: The Road to Kunlun
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After resting for a day at the inn, Dan Ak-seon finished his preparations to set off on his journey again.
“Among the Nine Sects, only Kunlun and Kongtong are left.”
“Which one do you want to visit first?”
“Hmm…”
Mulling over Cho Ak-ryang's question, Dan Ak-seon soon revealed his destination.
“I think Kunlun would be good.”
“That will be quite a long journey.”
Even using lightness techniques to travel in a straight line, the distance was over five thousand li.
It would be even longer if they followed the roads.
The distance would be several times that.
“Because winter is just around the corner.”
Cho Ak-ryang nodded at Dan Ak-seon's words.
The winter weather in Qinghai was famous for its harshness.
The severe cold accompanied by strong winds was a given, and if a blizzard were to hit, they could be stranded for months.
Considering the rugged terrain of the Kunlun Mountains, it was wise to visit before winter truly set in.
In contrast, the Kongtong Sect was located in Gansu province.
Since it was a relatively easier location to reach, they could stop by on their way back.
Just as they finished their preparations and were about to leave the inn.
A middle-aged beggar entered the inn.
He walked straight to I Rip and bowed his head.
“Five-Knot disciple, Hwa Jong-gae, greets the Sect Leader.”
A strange light gleamed in I Rip's eyes.
Hwa Jong-gae, who seemed to have rushed over, was breathing heavily, his face covered in sweat.
For someone of a Branch Leader's rank to move so urgently meant the news he brought was of great importance.
I Rip led him outside the inn.
And a short while later.
I Rip returned alone and gave Dan Ak-seon a bitter smile.
“It seems our journey together ends here.”
“Did something happen?”
With a troubled expression, I Rip nodded.
“The recent movements in the martial world seemed suspicious, so I ordered a few investigations. It seems our beggars have caught wind of something. It might be nothing, but I have a bad feeling about ignoring it.”
Dan Ak-seon sighed softly.
They had spent a considerable amount of time together and had grown quite fond of him.
It had been less than a day since Ga Du-dal left, and now he had to part with I Rip as well. It was a great shame.
I Rip smiled warmly at Dan Ak-seon.
“Don’t make that face. This world seems vast, but it’s endlessly small. We’ll meet again as if we were never apart.”
“You must have it tough, Sect Leader.”
I Rip burst into a hearty laugh at Dan Ak-seon's words.
“Haha. Who can I blame for my own nature? It’s just my cautious old heart, always needing to tap a stone bridge before crossing.”
Though he spoke lightly, I Rip's expression had turned serious.
“I will do what I must, so you should do what you must.”
“Sect Leader.”
“...?”
“Thank you.”
Puzzled by Dan Ak-seon's words, a look of deep emotion surfaced in I Rip's eyes.
“You’re always working so hard for others, behind the scenes.”
“...!”
I Rip was silent for a moment.
He was suddenly choked with emotion by Dan Ak-seon's sincere words.
Though they were called one of the Nine Sects, the attitude of other sects toward the Beggar's Sect had not changed over the years.
With the exception of a few proper individuals, most looked down on the Beggar's Sect.
They hid their contempt with courtesy and forced a hollow cooperation under the pretext of a greater cause.
Yet, in the end, the Beggar's Sect received almost no benefit.
Of course, he didn't do it for the reward, but he was only human; it would be a lie to say he never felt slighted.
At times, he felt a deep sense of doubt.
The Beggar's Sect's martial skills lagged behind the other Nine Sects.
It wasn't because their martial arts were inferior, but because they lacked talent.
Most members joined the sect after being battered by the storms of the world, so they were often uneducated and started their training late, making it difficult to achieve greatness in martial arts.
Nevertheless, whenever a problem arose in the martial world, the Beggar's Sect was always the first to step forward.
The sight of the Nine Great Sects asking for cooperation disguised as a request only when they were in need was sometimes unbearable.
When things went wrong and the blame had to fall somewhere, it was always the beggars of the sect who took the full brunt of it at the forefront.
Recalling the countless sect members sacrificed to uphold justice in the martial world, he often found it hard to sleep.
In fact, during the Great War between the Orthodox and Demonic Factions, the Beggar's Sect had suffered the most casualties. But there was no proper compensation or treatment.
They were praised as the 'Righteous Beggar's Sect,' but the reality was that they were always used and ignored.
But Dan Ak-seon genuinely acknowledged them.
Just the fact that someone recognized their unseen efforts made I Rip feel grateful.
And Hong Jeok-mun felt the same.
On behalf of the momentarily speechless I Rip, Hong Jeok-mun smiled and spoke.
“That is our lot and our calling.”
“Please be careful.”
“Don't worry too much.”
Just then, as if remembering something, I Rip prepared an ink brush and paper.
I Rip handed the hastily written letter to Dan Ak-seon.
“It’s a letter of recommendation. The Sect Leader of Kunlun is a bit gruff, but he’s an upright and warm-hearted man. We’ve met before, and he has an easygoing nature, so if you take this, he’ll gladly meet with you.”
Taking the letter, Dan Ak-seon gazed up at I Rip.
Then, he strode toward him.
I Rip took a slight step back, shaking his head.
“You’ll catch fleas.”
“It’s okay.”
“You might be okay, but I’m not.”
Following I Rip's gaze, Dan Ak-seon turned his head and saw Han Seol-hwa frowning slightly.
But even seeing this, Dan Ak-seon threw his arms around I Rip's waist in a tight hug.
“Thank you.”
“Haha, well now…”
I Rip let out an awkward laugh, looking troubled, and patted Dan Ak-seon's back with a sheepish expression.
“I hope you get the results you’re looking for.”
“You too, Sect Leader.”
“No.”
“...?”
“It would be better if my efforts were in vain. That would mean the martial world is at peace.”
“Ah!”
Leaving the gasping Dan Ak-seon behind, I Rip made eye contact with the others one by one and bid them farewell.
Hong Jeok-mun also said his goodbyes to the group.
As he was in charge of I Rip's protection, he had to stay by his side at all times.
“Well then, we’ll be on our way.”
Dan Ak-seon silently watched the backs of I Rip and Hong Jeok-mun as they used their lightness technique to disappear into the distance in an instant.
After seeing them off with a regretful gaze, Dan Ak-seon turned to his now smaller group.
“We should get going now, too.”
Fifteen days later.
Dan Ak-seon's party entered Qinghai province.
*Crunch.*
Savoring the crunch of snow under his feet, Dan Ak-seon scampered forward.
The endless snowfield stretching across the high plateau was a magnificent sight.
Exhaling continuous puffs of white breath, Dan Ak-seon was completely engrossed in the game of leaving the first footprints on the pure white snow.
After running around everywhere, oblivious to the passing time, Dan Ak-seon looked back at his companions much later.
“It’s already winter here.”
Cho Ak-ryang smiled and nodded.
Because of the high altitude, winter in Qinghai arrived particularly early.
Dan Ak-seon brought his frozen hands to his mouth and blew on them.
The tip of his nose was already red from the cold, a testament to how much he had run through the snow.
Han Seol-hwa tightly fastened the collar of Dan Ak-seon's clothes.
Dan Ak-seon was wearing cotton-padded trousers and a thick fur vest made of fox leather.
On his feet, he wore shoes thickly wrapped in multiple layers for warmth.
Because of this, he waddled when he walked as if it were difficult to move, which looked incredibly cute.
In contrast, the others were still in light attire.
“It feels strange being the only one dressed like this.”
Cho Ak-ryang smiled warmly at Dan Ak-seon's words.
“In a few years, this level of cold won’t be a problem for you either.”
Before he could finish, Beom Gye-wi stepped forward.
“Physician Dan, are you cold?”
Pulling Dan Ak-seon toward him, Beom Gye-wi circulated his internal energy.
“Stick right next to me. Then you won’t be cold.”
As a warm heat instantly enveloped the area, Dan Ak-seon looked up at Beom Gye-wi and grinned.
“Hehe, it’s warm.”
“Of course. Unlike those two, my martial arts have many uses.”
Beom Gye-wi shrugged smugly and cast a meaningful glance at Cho Ak-ryang and Han Seol-hwa.
The auras of the two turned menacing, but the triumphant Beom Gye-wi paid no mind to their sharp glares.
Beom Gye-wi went a step further, lifting Dan Ak-seon onto his shoulders and striding forward.
How long had they walked like that?
Before long, the sun began to set.
With the true start of winter, the days had grown noticeably shorter.
“We should stock up on plenty of dry rations in the next town.”
Dan Ak-seon looked around with worried eyes.
Qinghai was the largest province in all of the Central Plains.
However, due to the barren environment, it also had the smallest population.
Perhaps that was why it was so difficult to find any houses.
But fortunately, a small village came into view before night fell.
And luckily, it even had an inn.
It was a rare kind of village—small, but with all the necessary amenities.
Cho Ak-ryang pointed to an inn with a sign that read ‘Scent of Spring’s Arrival’.
“Let’s rest here for the day.”
It was his own way of being considerate to Dan Ak-seon, who must be tired of camping out almost every other day.
However, before even unpacking his bags, Dan Ak-seon started walking off somewhere.
“Where are you going?”
Dan Ak-seon's eyes sparkled as he answered Cho Ak-ryang's question.
“I’m going to see if there’s an apothecary.”
“Again?”
Cho Ak-ryang shook his head as if to say he was hopeless.
“Isn’t this an occupational hazard at this point?”
Cho Ak-ryang gave a wry smile at Beom Gye-wi's words.
That was because every time they stopped in a village, Dan Ak-seon would search through the apothecaries and markets without fail.
“But I still haven’t found a place that sells cordyceps. I heard it’s a specialty of Qinghai province.”
“Cordyceps?”
Dan Ak-seon smiled and explained in response to Beom Gye-wi's question.
“It's a medicinal mushroom that grows on the bodies of insects or bugs. It's named that because it's an insect in the winter and becomes a mushroom the following spring.”
Beom Gye-wi, who had been indifferent, had his eyes light up at Dan Ak-seon's next explanation.
“It strengthens lung function, alleviating bleeding and coughs. Most importantly, it replenishes yang energy and is extremely effective as a restorative tonic.”
“Does that go into the Dokgyesan too?”
“Yes. It’s one of the most important ingredients.”
“Then we have to get it.”
Han Seol-hwa, noticing Beom Gye-wi's ulterior motive, gave him a pathetic look.
“But isn’t cordyceps easily obtainable in the Central Plains?”
Dan Ak-seon shook his head at Cho Ak-ryang's question.
“But most of it is dried or powdered. This is the only place where you can get wild cordyceps.”
“Physician Dan, I'll go with you.”
Cho Ak-ryang stepped forward, stopping Beom Gye-wi in his tracks.
“No, you’ll go with me this time.”
“What, why?”
When Beom Gye-wi flared up, Cho Ak-ryang retorted.
“Isn’t it almost time for dinner? If I send you with him, who knows when you’ll be back.”
“Well…”
Since it had happened a few times before, Beom Gye-wi trailed off awkwardly.
Leaving all the luggage with Beom Gye-wi, Cho Ak-ryang began to walk side by side with Dan Ak-seon.
They looked around the village for a short while.
They found an apothecary located on one side of the market.
“Wow! There are so many things I’ve never seen in the Central Plains.”
All sorts of medicinal herbs were displayed on a stall in front of the apothecary.
With curious eyes, Dan Ak-seon carefully examined the herbs one by one.
He didn't forget to occasionally ask the apothecary about the herbs' effects and uses.
Just as Dan Ak-seon was completely absorbed in the herbs.
A sharp glint flashed in Cho Ak-ryang's eyes.
He had sensed a suspicious presence approaching them.
Cho Ak-ryang subtly turned his eyes to check the person.
Was he in his early thirties?
He was a man with an ordinary appearance and no particular distinguishing features.
There were no signs of him having learned martial arts, nor did he exude any killing intent.
But his complexion was unusually pale.
“Huh?”
It was then that Dan Ak-seon, who had been examining the herbs, sniffed the air.
“I smell poison!”
Dan Ak-seon's eyes widened as he finally noticed the man.
His lips were tinged purple, and he was convulsing intermittently.
Added to that were his irregular breathing and bloodless face.
They were classic symptoms of poisoning.
Moreover, he was in such a critical state that it wouldn't be surprising if he stopped breathing at any moment.
The man, whose eyes met Dan Ak-seon's, struggled to open his mouth.
“Please… help… me.”
Startled, Dan Ak-seon rushed toward the man.
In that instant, Cho Ak-ryang's eyes flashed coldly.
Because there was something about the man's behavior that didn't make sense.
In a crisis, it’s normal to ask an adult for help, not a child.
But the man had specifically singled out Dan Ak-seon for help, not him.
It was an impossible action unless he knew that Dan Ak-seon was a physician.
The whole sequence of events felt dissonant.
And it didn't take long to realize the source of that dissonance.
It was because of the man's eyes.
As Dan Ak-seon got closer, the fear in the man's eyes suddenly changed to killing intent.
A dagger drawn from his sleeve was aimed at Dan Ak-seon.