Chapter 15
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: A Fateful Encounter
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‘What’s the big deal about bumping into some kid?’
It shouldn’t have escalated to this point. Hadn’t he clearly apologized?
The Martial Alliance’s response was also incomprehensible.
To dispatch an inspector and reprimand him over such a trivial matter.
It was unprecedented.
The man in the bamboo hat chuckled at Gwak-ga.
“You said you were grateful, but your expression says otherwise. You seem quite dissatisfied with this treatment, don't you?”
“No, sir. It’s just…”
“Just?”
“I do not understand.”
“What is it you don’t understand?”
Gwak-ga poured out the frustration pent up in his chest.
“Though the Jinsung Clinic’s reputation is great, it is but one of many clinics. For a trivial matter like this to…”
The man in the bamboo hat cut him off.
“He is under the Alliance’s special protection.”
“Pardon?”
“It seems you are unaware of how much effort the Alliance put into recruiting him. We had to bend over backwards. We were the desperate ones, not him.”
“But why go to such lengths?”
The smile lingering on the man’s lips deepened.
“I forgot to mention this.”
Ignoring Gwak-ga's bewildered look, the man continued.
“Knowing your place is important, but there is something that takes even greater priority.”
“…?”
“Not taking an interest in matters that don’t concern you. Curiosity invites disaster, and excessive greed hastens one’s demise.”
Gwak-ga flinched and bowed his head even lower.
The man’s voice remained leisurely, but the stern energy within it was unmistakably murderous.
“How about you stop paying attention to useless things and get back to your duties?”
The man took a piece of paper from his robes and placed it on the tea table.
It was a sketch of a wanted man.
“You are aware that we are subjugating the remnants of the Jangyeom Faction, are you not?”
The Jangyeom Faction was a dark sect led by two of the Ten Great Villains, Jang Gok and Yeom Wi, known as the Two Ghosts of the Black Water.
They were a group of river pirates who controlled the Black Dragon River area, having established their own independent territory separate from the Yangtze River Water Fortress, the alliance of river pirates. However, not long ago, their leaders, Jang Gok and Yeom Wi, were killed by the Martial Alliance.
As a result, their remaining followers scattered.
“Among them, Ma Il-rip, whose whereabouts were unknown, is said to have fled to this area. He is severely injured, so finding him should not be difficult.”
Ma Il-rip was the one who managed the Jangyeom Faction’s finances and personnel.
The man in the bamboo hat smiled faintly at the members of the Evil-Shattering Corps, who still had their heads bowed.
“Well then, good luck. I will relay the hardships of you all, who strive on the front lines of the Alliance, to my superiors.”
With those words, the man in the bamboo hat departed.
Only after he had completely disappeared did someone mutter under their breath.
“If it’s not a difficult task, why don’t you handle it yourself?”
A few other members vented their frustrations as well.
“Damn it, what the hell does the Martial Alliance even do for us?”
“Exactly. It’s bad enough being thrown into a backwater like this, but now we have to take this kind of treatment?”
“They could at least give us proper reinforcements.”
“They’re always on our case, throwing us into every hellhole they can find.”
As the incensed members were raising their voices,
Gwak-ga slammed his hand on the tea table.
*Crack!*
The table, unable to withstand the impact, shattered, sending tea splashing everywhere.
“Enough.”
At that single word, everyone fell silent.
Gwak-ga, struggling to suppress his anger, looked over his subordinates.
“For now, we focus on finding that man. We cannot afford to fall further out of the Alliance’s favor.”
With those words, Gwak-ga quelled his subordinates’ complaints and left the tavern.
The twenty or so warriors of the Evil-Shattering Corps followed him. The menacing aura they emanated caused the people in the market to hastily move aside.
Their gazes were just that desolate.
***
*Tweet!*
“…?”
Hearing a whistle from somewhere, Dan Ak-seon turned his head.
He couldn’t tell the direction, but it wasn’t far. However, he soon started walking again.
This was no time to be distracted.
‘I need to hurry.’
The sun was already tilting towards the western mountains. Even if he left now, he would only arrive in the middle of the night. Tightly securing the bag of medicinal herbs, Dan Ak-seon quickened his pace.
‘This way is a shortcut.’
Between the walls of two buildings.
He squeezed his body through a gap barely wide enough for one person to pass.
Going through the market would have been a long detour.
But at a certain moment.
“Huh?”
Dan Ak-seon stopped in his tracks.
‘I’m sure I heard something.’
As he looked around,
“Ugh…”
A faint groan reached him.
Dan Ak-seon followed the sound down the narrow path. Before long, he found someone.
It was a man, slumped against a wall as if he had collapsed.
He looked to be in his mid-forties.
His face, covered in scars big and small, was clear evidence of a rough life.
Dan Ak-seon hurried to his side.
“Are you alright?”
The man was in no condition to answer.
His face was as pale as a sheet, and his entire body was drenched in blood.
‘He’s lost too much blood!’
A small pool of blood had formed beneath the wall where the man was leaning.
His breathing was also faint, as if he could pass away at any moment.
Putting down his bag, Dan Ak-seon took out a box of needles from his robes. He began inserting needles into the man’s acupoints.
Thankfully, the bleeding soon began to stop.
However, his breathing remained dangerously shallow.
To save him, he needed to continue the treatment immediately.
Just then, a figure approached from behind Dan Ak-seon.
*Grab.*
Someone seized Dan Ak-seon’s wrist and lifted him into the air.
“Ack!”
A scream escaped Dan Ak-seon’s lips.
The grip was that brutish.
Dan Ak-seon was too shocked to think straight. But even this was nothing compared to what followed.
The person who had snatched his wrist brought their other hand to their waist.
*Shing.*
With a cold sound, a sharp blade revealed its pristine form.
*Stab.*
“…!”
Dan Ak-seon’s eyes widened.
The man holding him captive.
He had reached out and plunged the blade into the heart of the fallen patient.
“No!”
A cry of horror, almost a scream, erupted from Dan Ak-seon.
With time and effort, the patient could have been saved. But right before his eyes, that life had been snuffed out in vain.
“What do you think you’re doing!”
Dan Ak-seon, dangling in the air, shouted in fury.
“You again?”
Only then did Dan Ak-seon see his captor’s face.
The grim voice was familiar.
Sure enough.
“You’re…?”
Dan Ak-seon’s gaze wavered.
What an ill-fated connection. It was the warrior from the Martial Alliance who had gotten into a dispute with Pung Jin-seong not long ago.
The leader of the Evil-Shattering Corps, who had introduced himself as Gwak-ga, stood before him.
“What is your relationship with this man?”
Gwak-ga radiated a chilling killing intent.
Dan Ak-seon didn’t answer. He could only feel sorrow for the man who had just died before him.
A bitter smile formed on Gwak-ga’s lips.
Anyone who aids a wanted criminal is immediately considered an enemy. Depending on the circumstances, summary execution was also possible.
‘If I play this right…’
If he could use this situation properly, he might be able to escape this remote backwater.
‘I could even frame that Pung Jin-seong fellow.’
Since he was a figure respected even by the Martial Alliance leadership, he should have that much influence.
“Answer me. What is your relationship with Ma Il-rip?”
Dan Ak-seon remained silent.
“You will tell me everything.”
Gwak-ga pulled the blade from the corpse.
Blood sprayed from the body, covering Dan Ak-seon’s face.
***
A look of puzzlement crossed Han Seol-hwa’s face.
Beom Gye-wi, who had been running alongside her, had suddenly come to a halt. After a moment of deep thought, he spoke abruptly.
“Wait. I need to stop by the village.”
—Suddenly?
Beom Gye-wi grinned.
“I have to buy our Doctor Dan something delicious.”
Without waiting for Han Seol-hwa’s reply, Beom Gye-wi changed direction. In an instant, he reached the village and headed for the nearest tavern.
“Pack up the most expensive and delicious thing you have!”
The waiter looked troubled.
“Sir, our finer dishes require special serving bowls, so they are difficult to pack.”
“Then just sell me the bowl too, right?”
“Well, yes, but then the container would cost more than the food itself.”
“I don’t care, just hurry up.”
A short while later.
A steaming dish was brought out in a ceramic, pot-shaped bowl.
The aroma alone was enough to make one’s mouth water; it was an exquisite dish.
Furthermore, it came with a matching lid, making it easy to carry.
Beom Gye-wi took the dish and turned to leave.
The waiter, startled, cried out.
“Sir! You have to pay!”
“Oh, right.”
Beom Gye-wi turned his head and looked at Han Seol-hwa.
“That woman will pay.”
—…!
Han Seol-hwa glared at Beom Gye-wi.
Ignoring her, Beom Gye-wi was already dashing away. Reluctantly, Han Seol-hwa paid for the food and the bowl. Leaving the tavern, she began to use her lightness arts to chase after Beom Gye-wi, who was already far ahead.
“Hehe. Our Doctor Dan is going to love this, right?”
Beom Gye-wi was grinning from ear to ear, for reasons unknown.
To Han Seol-hwa, his behavior was utterly strange and bewildering.
‘That man is showing such affection for someone?’
Just then, Beom Gye-wi opened his trousers.
—What are you doing?
“The food will get cold if I just carry it.”
—You madman…!
She wanted to curse him out, but she couldn’t.
The memory of the dumplings Beom Gye-wi had offered her as a gift last time came to mind, and a wave of nausea washed over her again.
—Are you really going to put that expensive Buddha Jumps Over the Wall in that smelly place?
Beom Gye-wi scratched his crotch with his hand and brought it to his nose.
“It doesn’t smell.”
Towards the disgusted Han Seol-hwa, Beom Gye-wi said,
“I took a bath last time, remember?”
—When?
“When I fought with you.”
—You filthy…
Han Seol-hwa, about to snap in frustration, let out an inward sigh.
—How are you going to run with that between your legs?
“Can’t I just hop along? Like those guys from the Hopping Corpse Sect.”
The Shanxi Hopping Corpse Sect, known for having the most unique footwork in the world.
Their exclusive movement technique was the Road-Opening Hop, which involved jumping with both feet together.
—The food will spill everywhere.
Beom Gye-wi paused. He thought her point had merit. But he soon found another way.
“Then I’ll just do this.”
Beom Gye-wi gathered his true qi.
Flames flickered in his hand supporting the bowl, and the cooling dish quickly became hot again.
—Are you seriously using the Three Yang Reversal True Qi just to heat up food?
“The Three what?”
Han Seol-hwa was genuinely dumbfounded.
—You’ve been using a martial art all this time without even knowing its name?
“What does it matter? It’s mine, anyway. It’s not like it’ll disappear just because I don’t know its name.”
Of the countless internal energy arts scattered throughout the world.
The one considered the pinnacle of extreme yang arts was the Three Yang Reversal True Qi.
How on earth did such a profound art end up in the hands of an idiot like this?
The creator of the Three Yang Reversal True Qi must be weeping in his grave.
Beom Gye-wi asked her in return.
“What about you? Have you never used your martial arts to freeze food for storage?”
—That’s…!
Han Seol-hwa fell silent.
“We’re here!”
At Beom Gye-wi’s cheer, Han Seol-hwa looked ahead. It seemed they had reached their destination while bickering.
Far in the distance.
The entrance to a valley, nestled among gracefully stretching mountain ridges, came into her view.
“Doctor Dan!”
Stepping into the Divine Demon Valley, Beom Gye-wi called for Dan Ak-seon with a voice loud enough to make the mountains ring.