Chapter 85
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: A Foolish Wager
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“Who are you talking about?”
Cho Ak-ryang snickered at Beom Gye-wi's question.
“The one who threw lime powder in your eyes and ran.”
Beom Gye-wi's face immediately contorted.
“Ah! That bastard! Just thinking about him makes my blood boil! Next time I see him, I'll tear him limb from limb...”
Cho Ak-ryang cut him off.
“He would be a worthy sparring partner for Physician Dan.”
After a moment of thought, Beom Gye-wi nodded.
“Now that you mention it, you're right.”
Dan Ak-seon grew curious.
“Who is this person?”
“He's a fellow known as the Ghostly Shadow Demonic Son.”
Cho Ak-ryang continued his explanation.
“He's a thief who roams the Central Plains, based around the Shaanxi area. He likes to praise himself, calling himself the Divine Thief.”
“A thief?”
“That's right. More than a few people bear a grudge against him.”
It was no wonder he had become one of the martial world's most wanted public enemies, regardless of faction.
Yet, the fact that he was still alive proved he was no ordinary man.
“His martial arts are nothing special, but his movement techniques are outstanding, on par with ours. He's also skilled in all sorts of miscellaneous tricks. And he possesses a vileness that makes him stop at nothing to achieve his goals.”
“To be acknowledged by you, Mister Cho, he must be quite remarkable.”
“Well, he's not *that* remarkable, but...”
Cho Ak-ryang trailed off, smiling meaningfully.
“He will certainly be helpful to you.”
And so, their first destination in Shaanxi was decided.
To find the Ghostly Shadow Demonic Son, Ga Du-dal, the group headed straight south.
Three days later, at Mount Taibai.
Though not as famous as the Five Great Mountains, Mount Taibai was one of the representative mountains of Shaanxi, along with Mount Hua and Mount Zhongnan.
Not only did its climate change drastically with the seasons, but the perpetual snow on its summit, which exuded a mystical aura, drew countless poets and artists to its slopes.
However, Dan Ak-seon's party had no time to appreciate Mount Taibai's stunning scenery.
“This bastard is hiding really deep.”
Beom Gye-wi grumbled under his breath as they traversed the deep valley.
Even though it was only mid-afternoon, the sky was already growing dark.
How long had they been searching the valley?
A glint appeared in Cho Ak-ryang's eyes.
“There it is!”
Cho Ak-ryang shot toward a wide boulder situated between the valley walls.
It was clearly a place that had been touched by human hands.
It was then that a haphazardly stacked pile of stones caught his eye.
Pushing aside the pile of stones, he revealed a small incense burner hidden within.
Beom Gye-wi approached the burner and gathered his internal energy.
*Fwoosh.*
When he placed his flame-wreathed finger inside the burner, it instantly caught fire.
A moment later, a plume of blue smoke began to rise toward the sky.
But the smoke was peculiar.
It swayed in the wind blowing through the valley, but it neither broke apart nor dispersed.
It seemed to have been specially treated with something.
“He should appear soon.”
Dan Ak-seon nodded at Cho Ak-ryang's words.
“Then we'll have to camp here for the night.”
Just then.
*Pitter-patter.*
Raindrops suddenly began to fall.
The weather in the mountains is fickle.
Mount Taibai, in particular, was famous for its ever-changing weather.
With a troubled expression, Dan Ak-seon began to look for a place to take shelter from the rain.
At that moment, Han Seol-hwa quietly moved to Dan Ak-seon's side.
“Huh?”
Dan Ak-seon looked up at Han Seol-hwa with curious eyes.
Because even in the downpour, she still looked perfectly calm.
“Ah!”
A soft gasp escaped Dan Ak-seon's lips.
Despite the pouring rain, not a single drop of water had touched his or Han Seol-hwa's clothes.
As raindrops neared Han Seol-hwa, they slid away as if blocked by an invisible wall.
It was due to her naturally manifested protective aura.
“That's amazing.”
Dan Ak-seon said in admiration, turning his head toward Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi.
Likewise, both men were using their protective auras to shield themselves from the rain.
“You'll be able to do it someday too.”
Beom Gye-wi nodded at Cho Ak-ryang's words.
“This is nothing.”
Beom Gye-wi boasted grandly.
“There are plenty of ways to avoid the rain without a protective aura.”
“Really?”
Beom Gye-wi grinned at Dan Ak-seon's question.
“Want me to show you?”
Cho Ak-ryang and Han Seol-hwa shot Beom Gye-wi a look of disdain.
“You must have nothing else to be proud of...”
Beom Gye-wi's face flushed at Cho Ak-ryang's jab.
Seeing this, Dan Ak-seon quickly made a suggestion.
He was trying to salvage the situation, feeling that Beom Gye-wi was being embarrassed because of him.
“Then how about we make a bet?”
“A bet?”
Dan Ak-seon continued, speaking to the puzzled Beom Gye-wi.
“The first person to get hit by the rain has to prepare dinner with me. Without using a protective aura, of course.”
Seeing the reluctance in Cho Ak-ryang's eyes, Dan Ak-seon tried his best to persuade him.
“We still have a long way to go, so I thought a little entertainment would be nice.”
At Dan Ak-seon's request, Cho Ak-ryang chuckled.
“That's not difficult.”
With that, Cho Ak-ryang picked up a nearby twig.
“Even without relying on a protective aura...”
As he spoke, Cho Ak-ryang withdrew his protective aura.
At the same time, he began to swing the twig, precisely deflecting the falling raindrops.
No, rather than deflecting them, he was deftly tapping them to change their direction.
“Wow!”
An exclamation of awe escaped Dan Ak-seon's lips.
It was a display of precision so incredible it was hard to believe even while seeing it.
Although he was only using a twig, Dan Ak-seon vaguely sensed that it incorporated the principle of deflecting a great force with a small one, an application of Thread-Winding Energy.
Seeing Dan Ak-seon's repeated exclamations of amazement, Cho Ak-ryang curled his lips into a slight smile.
But that smile didn't last long.
“Trying hard, are we.”
Hearing Beom Gye-wi's voice from the side, Cho Ak-ryang turned his head, his face twisting in annoyance.
*Sizzle.*
The raindrops falling near Beom Gye-wi were instantly vaporizing, scattering into a hazy steam.
He glanced toward Han Seol-hwa, just in case, but the situation there was similar.
The raindrops that came near her were instantly turning into small ice pellets and showering down.
Han Seol-hwa met Cho Ak-ryang's gaze and curled her lips into a slight smile.
“The rule is just not to get wet, right?”
“...!”
Cho Ak-ryang felt it was unfair.
It was true that neither of them was using a protective aura.
But how was this any different from a protective aura?
Moreover...
*'Damn it!'*
Unlike the other two, who were still at ease, Cho Ak-ryang grew more frantic as time passed.
His stamina was starting to wane.
At this rate, his defeat was all but certain.
Then, in an instant.
A glint flashed in Cho Ak-ryang's eyes.
Cho Ak-ryang began to swing his twig, flicking raindrops toward Han Seol-hwa.
*Flick! Flick! Flick!*
The hailstones, struck by the incoming raindrops, changed direction and flew toward Beom Gye-wi.
“What are you doing?”
Beom Gye-wi roared, glaring at Han Seol-hwa.
Han Seol-hwa, for her part, glared back at Cho Ak-ryang with narrowed eyes.
At this, Cho Ak-ryang smiled slyly and opened his mouth.
“I was just recalling the terms of the bet.”
“...?”
“There was no rule against interfering with each other.”
At those words, Beom Gye-wi's eyes widened.
It was true.
At this rate, he couldn't be sure how long his contest with Han Seol-hwa would last.
Besides, if he could beat them both and claim victory for himself, neither Cho Ak-ryang nor Han Seol-hwa would be able to look down on him for a while.
Beom Gye-wi sidled closer to Han Seol-hwa.
In that moment, the heat radiating from Beom Gye-wi caused Han Seol-hwa's cold energy to waver.
An ice pellet melted into a drop of water and was about to fall onto her shoulder.
“...!”
Startled, Han Seol-hwa quickly stepped aside to dodge the raindrop.
“You dare?”
At Beom Gye-wi's provocation, Han Seol-hwa's gaze turned icy.
Gathering her internal energy, Han Seol-hwa waved her sleeve toward Beom Gye-wi.
The steam surrounding Beom Gye-wi instantly condensed and poured down like rain.
“Whoa!”
Flustered, Beom Gye-wi hastily struck the air with his palm.
*Boom!*
The impact shattered the water droplets, turning them back into a hazy mist.
“You want to go at it?”
As Beom Gye-wi roared in anger, Han Seol-hwa snorted briefly.
“With your skills?”
Provoked by Han Seol-hwa's scorn, Beom Gye-wi lashed out with a fist wind.
Not to be outdone, Han Seol-hwa swung her sleeves, continuously sending out blasts of cold energy.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
A series of explosions erupted between the two, sending water droplets flying in all directions.
Thanks to them, Cho Ak-ryang's hands became even busier.
He was already struggling to deflect the rain from above, and now water was splashing at him from the side as well.
“That's enough, you two!”
Unable to bear it any longer, Cho Ak-ryang yelled, and both Beom Gye-wi and Han Seol-hwa whipped their heads around to glare at him.
“He was the one who started it!”
No sooner had Han Seol-hwa's words left her lips than Beom Gye-wi lunged toward Cho Ak-ryang.
Cho Ak-ryang, startled, tried to retreat, but Beom Gye-wi was a fraction faster.
Trapped in an instant within Beom Gye-wi and Han Seol-hwa's range, Cho Ak-ryang's face was a picture of dismay.
Then, in an instant.
“Fine! Let's all go down together, you bastards!”
Malice began to drip from Cho Ak-ryang's eyes.
In a flash, cold energy and fire energy tangled together.
And when Cho Ak-ryang's Thread-Winding Energy was added to the mix, the scene quickly descended into chaos.
Amidst the swirling vortex of power and internal energy, the finely shattered water droplets turned into a hazy mist that enveloped the area.
Watching the spectacle, Dan Ak-seon let out a long sigh.
“Haaah...”
The three of them, seemingly oblivious to his presence, were locked in a frantic battle, a scene of pure madness.
Thanks to them, Dan Ak-seon was soaked to the bone.
There had been no way for him to avoid the storm of rain and wind lashing out from all directions.
*'Where did it all go wrong?'*
Dan Ak-seon inwardly reflected on the current situation.
The bet he had proposed to stop them from fighting had instead instigated an even bigger fight.
He had never expected them to fight to the death over a mere bet.
It was the price he paid for not understanding the nature of masters, who valued their pride as much as their lives.
But regret, no matter how soon it comes, is always too late.
*'Let's not make any more bets.'*
Looking down at himself, so drenched that he would have been better off just standing in the rain, Dan Ak-seon shook his head.
And he resolved once more.
*'Absolutely! Never again!'*
That night.
A figure, melting into the valley's darkness, approached stealthily.
He looked to be in his early fifties.
He was a man of small stature, with small, rat-like eyes and a thin beard like a goat's.
He continuously glanced around as he cautiously approached the incense burner.
*'What in the world happened here?'*
The entire valley was a mess, as if a typhoon had swept through.
Broken pieces of rock and piles of dirt were strewn everywhere, and there were scorch marks in various places.
Furthermore, everything was covered in muddy water.
And yet, only the incense burner was untouched.
That made it feel even more bizarre.
*'This is not good!'*
His instincts, honed over many years of roaming the martial world, sent him a warning.
No matter how good the opportunity, avoiding suspicious situations was the best course of action.
Gripped by a sense of foreboding, Ga Du-dal slowly began to retreat the way he came.
His movements were extremely cautious, making not a single sound.
But...
*Thud.*
Before he had taken more than a few steps, he bumped into something.
He casually turned his head to look behind him.
In the dim darkness.
Something thin, curved, and glowing caught his eye.
Belatedly realizing it was the glint in someone's smiling eyes, a chill ran down Ga Du-dal's spine.
In that moment, a voice he could never forget echoed in his mind.
“It's been a while.”