Chapter 53
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: A Den of Monsters
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"How can we trust those bastards? They act like they'll give you their liver and gallbladder now because they need you, but their roots are in the orthodox factions. It wouldn't be strange if they cast us aside at any moment. Especially entrusting a critical position like the leader of the Evil-Shattering Corps to a demonic leader like the Seven Severing Demonic Lord is suspicious. Will they truly remain loyal to the end? I don't think so. They'll use them as much as they need and then discard them without a second thought."
Cho Ak-ryang nodded.
For someone who had led an intelligence organization, his insight was quite sharp.
"So? Do you have anywhere to go now?"
Neung So-mil gave a bitter smile.
He had managed to escape with his life, but he could no longer return to his old group. The Martial Alliance bastards weren't fools; they would have surely issued a warrant for his arrest.
"First, I'm going to kill that bastard I Gyu, then I'll think."
"In your condition?"
A thick killing intent radiated from Neung So-mil's eyes.
"For a guy like him, all I need is a single molar. I'm going to chew him up, bones and all, from head to toe."
"Good. Then we'll talk again after that."
"Pardon?"
"Didn't I tell you? I'm a man who is clear about his debts and grudges."
Cho Ak-ryang smiled faintly.
"And I always keep my word."
With that, Cho Ak-ryang pulled something from his robes and threw it to Neung So-mil. Catching it reflexively, Neung So-mil looked at Cho Ak-ryang with questioning eyes.
"What is this?"
"A spirit pill."
"A spirit pill?"
In reality, it was a health supplement Dan Ak-seon had made, but Cho Ak-ryang nodded.
He'd never tried famous elixirs like Shaolin's Great Cyclic Pill or the Huashan Sect's Violet Cloud Pill, so he couldn't compare, but the effects he had experienced himself were incredible.
"I'll be back soon."
Leaving those words behind, Cho Ak-ryang vanished. His movement technique was so incredible it was hard to believe even seeing it with his own eyes.
"What? So suddenly..."
Muttering in a daze, Neung So-mil looked at the pill Cho Ak-ryang had left behind.
"It's not poison, is it?"
Staring at the pill, Neung So-mil soon let out a smirk.
There was no reason to kill a man he had just saved.
Besides, Cho Ak-ryang was someone far removed from using poison. No, he was a man who detested poison itself. The story of how his feud with the Tang Family started because of poison was already famous throughout the martial world.
The Tang Family had dispatched their greatest master to kill Cho Ak-ryang.
The Thousand Hands Dark Emperor.
His martial arts were as great as his fame, and it was openly rumored that if a spot among the Five Absolutes Under Heaven opened up, he would be next in line.
That's how deep their grudge ran.
‘Well, even he has now become a lonely ghost under the moon.’
This was the same Cho Ak-ryang who had sent three such monsters to the underworld at once.
If he wanted to, he could have killed him with a flick of his finger.
There was no reason for a man like him to bother with poison.
Neung So-mil carefully peeled away the wax sealing the pill.
A sharp, fragrant scent spread through the air.
He instantly understood why Cho Ak-ryang had called it a spirit pill. Fearing the medicinal energy might dissipate, Neung So-mil quickly brought the pill to his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.
Before long, a warm energy filled his entire body, and the pain began to subside in an instant.
The effect far exceeded his expectations, leaving Neung So-mil unable to hide his astonishment.
"He's got some conscience, that son of a bitch."
Just then, a shadow fell behind Neung So-mil.
"…!"
Startled, Neung So-mil whipped around. But no one was there. It was just the shadow of a tree cast by the moon, which had peeked out from behind the clouds.
"Phew."
Breathing a sigh of relief, Neung So-mil calmed his racing heart.
Then he slapped his own mouth with his palm.
"Watch your mouth, you idiot!"
As he waited endlessly for Cho Ak-ryang, Neung So-mil's mind raced.
Cho Ak-ryang had said he would return, but he couldn't just sit here indefinitely. Soon, the deaths of the interrogator and the Evil-Shattering Corps members would be discovered, and it was as clear as day that the Martial Alliance would search the area.
‘Should I just bolt?’
As he was seriously contemplating this.
Thud!
Something heavy dropped in front of him.
Startled, Neung So-mil instinctively backed away, his eyes widening to their limits.
"Huh?"
A man had been thrown to the ground.
His face was all too familiar.
The man also recognized Neung So-mil and was visibly shocked.
"Ch-Chief!"
"You son of a bitch!"
Recognizing I Gyu's face, Neung So-mil's eyes blazed. At that moment, Cho Ak-ryang landed between them.
"Why did you bring that bastard here?"
At Neung So-mil's question, Cho Ak-ryang asked back with a puzzled look.
"Didn't you say you'd kill this guy first and then think?"
"But he's perfectly fine?"
No matter how he looked at him, I Gyu didn't seem to be seriously injured.
He, on the other hand, had been tortured and was in no condition to fight.
Cho Ak-ryang chuckled and asked Neung So-mil.
"Didn't you say all you needed was a molar?"
At first, Neung So-mil's expression was dumbfounded, but then a venomous look began to creep over his face.
"So I did."
Grind.
Grinding his teeth, Neung So-mil glared at I Gyu, his fighting spirit ignited.
"Ch-Chief! Please, listen to me..."
"Shut up and come at me."
His face contorted like a demon's, Neung So-mil walked towards I Gyu.
"I'm about to chew you up and spit you out."
Neung So-mil let out a roar and charged at I Gyu. Soon, the two were entangled in a messy brawl.
However, Neung So-mil's injuries were severe, and he couldn't fully utilize his martial arts.
But his ferocity was on another level.
Neung So-mil charged with the intent to kill, disregarding his own life, while I Gyu was only looking for a chance to escape.
Their attitudes toward the fight produced a clear difference in the outcome.
As they grappled and tumbled, I Gyu's Eagle Claw technique struck Neung So-mil's side.
"Gah!"
Coughing up a mouthful of blood, Neung So-mil laughed like a devil.
"…!"
I Gyu's heart sank.
The sight of Neung So-mil, his face covered in blood, closing the distance was utterly terrifying.
Neung So-mil spat the blood that had pooled in his mouth into I Gyu's face. While he flailed in confusion, Neung So-mil mounted his chest.
He had completely pinned I Gyu's arms under his knees.
Neung So-mil tilted his head back.
Then, he slammed his forehead into I Gyu's face.
Crack!
Once.
Crunch!
And twice.
After five consecutive headbutts completely crushed I Gyu's face, Neung So-mil laughed like a madman, not even bothering to wipe the blood streaming from his torn forehead.
Meanwhile, Cho Ak-ryang, who had been ready to intervene if Neung So-mil was in danger, was inwardly impressed by the unexpected result.
He hadn't expected the badly injured Neung So-mil to beat a perfectly healthy man to death.
Even Cho Ak-ryang had to acknowledge his viciousness.
Cho Ak-ryang approached the panting Neung So-mil.
"Anyone else left to kill?"
"There is one more, but I'll give up."
At the unexpected answer, Cho Ak-ryang looked puzzled. But Neung So-mil's following words made him smirk.
"That person is beyond my abilities."
"Then let's continue our talk. What will you do now? Do you have anywhere to go?"
"I'll have to go hide in some mountain and live quietly. Damn it! Wol-hyang invited me to come visit her new brothel!"
"You won't find a place to hide once the Heavenly Ear Corps starts looking in earnest."
"What can I do? I'll just have to die then."
Lying flat on his back, Neung So-mil gasped for breath.
"Don't worry. Even then, I won't speak your name, Honored One. If you're really suspicious, you can just kill me cleanly here."
Neung So-mil muttered, staring at the sky as if to say, 'whatever happens, happens.'
Looking down at him, Cho Ak-ryang spoke.
"Get up."
"Are you really going to kill me?"
Seeing the tension on Neung So-mil's face, Cho Ak-ryang let out a dry laugh.
"I will provide you with a place to stay."
After much deliberation, Neung So-mil finally decided to follow Cho Ak-ryang.
After all, his chances of survival were slim no matter where he went.
Fifteen days later.
‘No. This isn't happening.’
Neung So-mil couldn't believe his current situation.
If he could, he would turn around and flee without a second glance.
But that was a dream he couldn't even dare to have.
To his right stood the Blood Hand Honored One, and to his left, Mang Mountain's Thistle.
‘And the Ice Jade Fairy, too!’
The more he thought about it, the more absurd it became.
‘How am I supposed to live in a place like this?’
He felt it would be far more comforting to be chased by the Martial Alliance bastards.
Of course, Cho Ak-ryang had briefly explained a few things before they arrived.
But there had been no mention of them.
And moreover...
‘The Money-Grubbing Ghost Lord!’
He had never imagined he would encounter the money-grubbing ghost that the Martial Alliance was desperately searching for here.
Meeting Neung So-mil's confused gaze, Sa Mu-sim offered a good-natured smile.
But Neung So-mil shuddered.
The persistent money-grubbing ghost, from whom the only escape was the afterlife.
Knowing his notorious reputation, Sa Mu-sim's smile felt chillingly ominous.
And on top of that...
‘This little kid is the son of the Divine Physician and the Demonic Physician?’
As the former head of an intelligence organization, Neung So-mil knew about the recent rumors circulating within the Martial Alliance.
It was said that the successor who inherited the Divine Physician of Sacred Hands's legacy had treated the Martial Alliance Lord's daughter.
And he had supposedly cured her severed meridians.
But to think he was this young.
"You've been through a lot."
Seeing Neung So-mil's state, battered from torture, Dan Ak-seon's eyes filled with sympathy.
"To think you kept your loyalty to Uncle Cho while enduring such harsh torture..."
At Dan Ak-seon's words, Neung So-mil could only smile bitterly.
It wasn't that he wanted to protect him.
It was just plain stubbornness.
"Fortunately, you performed first aid well."
Neung So-mil tilted his head at Dan Ak-seon's words.
"First aid? I didn't do anything..."
In that instant, killing intent poured in from all directions, and Neung So-mil's heart dropped.
It was a chilling aura, sharp enough to stop his heart right where he sat.
"...sir."
Neung So-mil quickly switched to a polite tone.
At that, the killing intent that had been shredding his body vanished as if it had never been there.
"You contracted your muscles to stabilize the broken ribs, didn't you?"
Dan Ak-seon looked at Cho Ak-ryang with admiration.
The ribs were a difficult area to treat because the broken parts would shift with every breath, making it hard to keep the bones set even with a splint.
Cho Ak-ryang smiled awkwardly.
When it came to grappling arts, at least, he prided himself on being the best in the Central Plains.
His understanding of bones, joints, and muscle movements was naturally high.
"It's a crude method compared to Physician Dan's medical arts."
Neung So-mil was taken aback by Cho Ak-ryang's humility.
The sight of the great Blood Hand Honored One showing such a modest attitude and respecting his counterpart was that surprising.
Dan Ak-seon was once again impressed.
"So it's possible to apply martial arts to this kind of treatment."
Dan Ak-seon smiled and said to Neung So-mil.
"You were lucky. If you hadn't met Uncle Cho in time, your condition would have been much worse."
Looking around, Neung So-mil wondered if he was really lucky.
‘Surrounded by monsters on all sides, can I even drink a cup of water in peace?’
Unaware of Neung So-mil's inner thoughts, Dan Ak-seon continued.
"You'll need to rest for a while. The broken ribs will heal with time, and fortunately, your internal injuries have improved. We just need to treat the burns and external wounds so they don't get infected. Until you've recovered, you should rest as much as possible and avoid moving."
Dan Ak-seon looked around at the group, seeking their opinions.
"If everyone else agrees, I think it would be best for him to stay here. What do you think?"
"If Physician Dan is fine with it."
At Beom Gye-wi's acceptance, Han Seol-hwa also nodded in agreement.
Sa Mu-sim, too, showed his good-natured smile.
"I'm fine with it as well. Hoho."
And so, regardless of the wishes of Neung So-mil himself, his stay in the Divine Demon Valley was unanimously decided.