Chapter 144
Chapter 144
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 144
Chapter Title: The Dang Clinic's Guests
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Dang Mujin's head was telling him to run toward Dan Seol-yeong, but his instinct held Dang Mujin back. It felt as difficult to move his feet as if roots had sprouted from them.
Just like when facing an overwhelming master, Dang Mujin felt an inexplicable fear.
'What is this?'
While Dang Mujin hesitated, Dan Seol-yeong came running busily and embraced him.
It was an extremely bold action, as if she had forgotten that people around were watching.
Dan Seol-yeong naturally assumed Dang Mujin would spread both arms and hug her back as well. But Dang Mujin's reaction was a little strange.
"Ugh."
Dang Mujin let out a small groan and pulled his body back slightly. Shock filled Dan Seol-yeong's face.
"What, what's that?"
"It's nothing. Feels like my rib cracked during the fight."
Dang Mujin tugged lightly at the front of his robe to show Dan Seol-yeong. A bluish bruise peeked out from between his clothes.
"Ah...!"
Dan Seol-yeong fretted over Dang Mujin while inwardly breathing a sigh of relief. Her expression brightened so much that anyone could tell.
"Do you know how worried I was? When I saw that Three-Eyed Monk bastard trying to haul you off..."
When Dan Seol-yeong got that far, the surroundings suddenly fell quiet.
And only then did Dan Seol-yeong spot the Three-Eyed Monk standing beside Dang Mujin.
"...!"
The Three-Eyed Monk was the sort of person who was harder to overlook than to notice. But Dan Seol-yeong's gaze had been fixed solely on Dang Mujin, so she hadn't carefully scanned the people nearby. A major blunder.
The Three-Eyed Monk waved his hand dismissively.
"So you're the little miss who saw it back then. No need to worry about me. She didn't say anything wrong."
Dan Seol-yeong racked her brains, but she couldn't make sense of the situation at all.
She had no idea why the Three-Eyed Monk—a vicious super-expert notorious in the Demonic Cult—was hanging around Dang Mujin. There wasn't even any tension flowing between the Three-Eyed Monk and Dang Mujin. If anything, they looked fairly friendly.
Dan Seol-yeong stole a glance at the Three-Eyed Monk for a moment before returning to the main subject.
"Uh... anyway, I was worried."
"Sorry. I didn't expect things to turn out like this either."
"Anyway, it's good we met again with you in one piece. Well, not entirely in one piece."
Dan Seol-yeong let her words trail off vaguely before cutting to the chase.
"...So, who's the person behind you?"
At Dan Seol-yeong's question, the surroundings were engulfed in silence.
Standing behind Dang Mujin was Mok Wana. Having abruptly left her familiar cave, the most emotionally secure spot for Mok Wana was still behind Dang Mujin's back.
And the instant Dan Seol-yeong posed her question, Mok Wana shrank back even further, hiding herself behind Dang Mujin once more.
But Dang Mujin introduced her with a beaming smile.
"Her name's Mok Wana. Someone I met in the Demonic Cult."
"Met...? No, explain properly."
The mood was such that Dan Seol-yeong looked ready to let out a roar any second. Hong Geolgae and Nangong Myeong tensed up sharply.
Yet the onlookers' gazes brimmed with irrepressible curiosity. The Three-Eyed Monk was no exception—his eyes sparkled brightly.
And if one had to name the person most rapt in the conversation, it was none other than Hwa Yeon Nun.
Hwa Yeon Nun had trod the path of Buddhism, living a life utterly divorced from romance. That had been her way until now, and she had no plans to grow intimate with such matters going forward.
But other people's stories were a different matter entirely.
Hwa Yeon Nun had read the romance novel *Hoejin-gi* at least a hundred times, and eavesdropping on tales of love from the courtesans at Juru was her favorite pastime.
She had founded Haomun to aid the weary and tormented, but her most fulfilling moments came from the countless informants relaying the world's titillating gossip about men and women.
Lacking hands-on experience, her vicarious knowledge outstripped anyone under heaven—which was why she had counseled young lovers on their woes more than once.
And now, the scene before Hwa Yeon Nun surpassed even her wildest hopes.
The tale of Dang Mujin and Dan Seol-yeong was intriguing enough. But a story involving three people? Utterly riveting. Sweat slicked Hwa Yeon Nun's small palms.
By contrast, Dang Mujin was utterly clueless as to why this atmosphere had taken shape.
"I had to study poisons in the Demonic Cult, and Mok Wana was the only one around to help. We just naturally got close."
"You must've spent a lot of time together?"
"We were holed up alone in a cave no one ever visited."
Silence. Not a breath could be heard. Everyone spun wild imaginings of their own. What might have transpired in that cave?
Not even a faint smile lingered on Dan Seol-yeong's face. Her fists trembled visibly.
"Ah, so that's why you brought her along?"
Dang Mujin was hopelessly obtuse in such matters and had no clue how to view the scene from anyone else's perspective.
Yet he had faced his share of brush-with-death crises.
Which was why his instincts told him that simply nodding along now could spell serious trouble. Dang Mujin explained in as much detail as he could.
"If I'd left Mok Wana behind in the Demonic Cult, she'd have been dead without question. I had no choice but to bring her."
"Anyway, you're saying you like Mok Wana?"
"Of course. Mok Wana showed me incredible loyalty."
"...Loyalty?"
Loyalty, of all things. Was this some excuse not even a stray dog would buy?
But Dang Mujin's voice held no waver, no trace of embarrassment.
Dan Seol-yeong stared him down. Dang Mujin met her eyes without flinching. Dan Seol-yeong grew flustered.
'Is he for real? He brought her because of "loyalty'?'
From everything Dan Seol-yeong had seen of him, Dang Mujin wasn't the type to have messy entanglements with women, nor to spin lies over something like this.
He even seemed oblivious to what sort of mess he'd stirred up.
"What kind of loyalty?"
"She swallowed poison, steeling herself not to betray my whereabouts. Without my treatment, she'd have died for sure."
Dang Mujin's voice carried genuine emotion.
Dan Seol-yeong relaxed. It didn't look like Dang Mujin had fallen for this Mok Wana woman.
But Mok Wana herself was the issue. Had she really trailed after Dang Mujin for pure loyalty?
Dan Seol-yeong cocked her head to peer at Mok Wana, who lurked behind Dang Mujin.
Noticing, Dang Mujin asked,
"Why? Something wrong?"
"Step aside a sec."
Dang Mujin compliantly shifted to the side.
With Dang Mujin's shadow gone, Mok Wana huddled like a mouse before a cat, rigid with tension. The air grew thick with suspense. Someone gulped audibly.
Dan Seol-yeong fixed Mok Wana with a piercing stare, while Mok Wana's eyes darted to her own feet.
Dang Mujin, sensing something off about the lack of exchange, chimed in.
"Mok Wana's really shy around strangers. She barely talked to anyone even back in the Demonic Cult."
No words passed readily between Dan Seol-yeong and Mok Wana. After a pause, Dan Seol-yeong spoke up.
"Miss Mok?"
"Y-Yes? Yes..."
"Anything you want to say in private?"
"No..."
Dan Seol-yeong crossed her arms. A pretty half-baked response.
'Looks like she might have feelings for Mujin, but...'
Unsure, and hardly the sort of thing to probe openly before an audience, Dan Seol-yeong held back from pressing.
One thing was certain, though. Mok Wana's demeanor made it clear: Dan Seol-yeong held total dominance here. An edge so overwhelming that even token resistance was out of the question.
This went beyond a mere embedded stone versus a rolling one. To Dan Seol-yeong's eyes, Mok Wana seemed timid to her core by nature.
Dan Seol-yeong took stock of the situation rationally.
'Even if she rubs me the wrong way, I can't ship her back to the Demonic Cult. Better to lay down the law now and draw a firm line so she never gets ideas above her station.'
Meek cats make it to the hearth; timid ones never even try.
Dan Seol-yeong gave Mok Wana a quick once-over.
She considered her own looks decent enough, and Mok Wana was pretty in her own right too. Fine so far.
What nagged at her, though, was Mok Wana's porcelain skin.
Dan Seol-yeong glanced down at her own forearm, then Mok Wana's.
Unlike Dan Seol-yeong—tanned a healthy brown from years of outdoor labor since girlhood—Mok Wana's face and arms gleamed as white as if dusted with powder, even bare.
Still, Dan Seol-yeong brimmed with her usual confidence.
'Since leaving Songshan, I've been out of the sun more and lightened up from before. With proper care going forward, I've got nothing to worry about.'
Dan Seol-yeong addressed Mok Wana.
"I'm Dan Seol-yeong. Dang Mujin's lover."
Mok Wana thought to herself.
If she's Dang Mujin's lover, does that make Dan Seol-yeong the daughter-in-law of the Sichuan Dang Clan, rulers of Sichuan Province?
Mok Wana might falter elsewhere, but her survival instincts were razor-sharp.
Like it or not, she was in a position to lean on the Sichuan Dang Clan. Mok Wana eyed Dan Seol-yeong like a whipped pup before speaking.
"Then... should I call you Little Madam?"
The unexpected words gave Dan Seol-yeong pause.
Little Madam. Suddenly she felt elevated far beyond a mere clinic bride—practically lofty.
Plus, Mok Wana's deferential tone signaled no intent to challenge her turf.
The corner of Dan Seol-yeong's mouth quirked up. The distant future was anyone's guess, but for now, no threat.
"No, what Little Madam? Just Dan Seol-yeong is fine."
"Ah, y-yes."
Standing beside Mok Wana, Dan Seol-yeong whispered with satisfaction.
"Now that we've met like this, let's get along. And don't get any excessive ideas. Got it?"
Mok Wana didn't grasp what "excessive ideas" meant. But she nodded along with the mood.
*
A few days later.
Jin Song, chief instructor of the Qingcheng Chengdu Branch, awoke to a magpie's chattering call.
'A welcome guest must be on the way.'
Jin Song had broad connections and smooth relations with others. Plenty of folks he'd be glad to see.
But if forced to name his top pick, it was Dang Mujin without question.
Over a year had passed since Dang Mujin promised to forge him a sword.
Dang Mujin had been too busy gallivanting about, though, leaving Jin Song still swordless.
Jin Song wrapped up his morning training briskly, then headed into the streets to prowl around the Dang Clinic. He had a hunch he'd bump into Dang Mujin today.
Neighborhood folk sensed the Dang Clinic's clout upon spotting Jin Song, famed first-rate expert of the Chengdu Branch, sniffing about. A first-rater hanging around like that? Truly Chengdu's premier clinic.
Jin Song lost track of his goal amid the stares.
Local punks who swaggered with puffed chests bowed low before him; some detoured outright to dodge him.
Whether he'd vault past the peak wall like his master someday, who could say.
Jin Song felt no impatience, though. Still late twenties, first-rate at his age put him ahead of the pack, not behind.
As Jin Song lurked near the Dang Clinic, a stranger emerged from the far alley.
'A martial artist. Out-of-towner?'
Sword at his waist, sharp demeanor, steady gait—he was no pretender aping a warrior. At a glance, roughly Jin Song's caliber.
'What's his business here? Something with the Qingcheng Sect?'
But Jin Song's eyes soon shifted. Trailing the man came a full twenty-odd martial artists, pouring forth.
Not a single one seemed amateurish. Several even looked like they'd breached the peak.
Jin Song tensed inwardly. This was no trifling matter.
Just as Jin Song edged backward stealthily, an especially striking figure appeared.
Towering a full head above the rest, a monk blanketed in scars—with ashen skin that barely passed for human.
Jin Song's breath caught. Even street gossips would know this monk on sight.
'Three-Eyed Monk!'
Jin Song's knees knocked. Why had this demonic super-peak terror shown up here of all places?
Demonic Cult aggression sprang to mind first.
But why target the Qingcheng Sect—and not even the main branch, but the Chengdu outpost? No clue.
He couldn't muster the will to fight. Even begging his master for aid wouldn't cut it here.
Blocking that many would force his master to call in the main branch.
His legs wouldn't obey, though. Jin Song froze stock-still by the Dang Clinic's front gate.
The Demonic Cult throng halted before him.
It felt like the Three-Eyed Monk's fist might crash down any instant. Thoughts of death blanked Jin Song's mind.
Yet the next moment, a familiar face emerged from the Three-Eyed Monk's ranks. Dang Mujin and company—expression utterly at ease.
Dang Mujin addressed the group.
"Not enough empty rooms, but... no choice for now. I'll clear the corner rooms and storeroom, so bear with it a few days. I'll scout decent spots nearby."
The Demonic Cult throng nodded and filed into the Dang Clinic. The street emptied in a blink.
Only then did Dang Mujin seem to notice Jin Song, approaching with a greeting.
"Long time no see."
"Uh... what brings those folks here, exactly?"
"They're guests."
"Ah... right?"
Jin Song mulled it over. Guests. Guests.
No grand house, but a local clinic taking in twenty-plus?
That lineup wasn't something you just called "guests" and moved on from. No way.
"Oh yeah, the sword—I'll get it done soon. Way overdue, even by my count."
"Th-that so? No pressure."
Jin Song muttered pleasantries while inching backward.
The instant Dang Mujin vanished into the clinic, Jin Song bolted at top speed for the Yellow Spirit Master.
No idea what was afoot, but his master needed to know first.