Chapter 145
Chapter 145
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 145
Chapter Title: Dang Clinic
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"Three-Eyed Monk? Really?"
"Yes, Master."
Unlike Jin Song, whose mind was filled with the urge to flee at once, the Yellow Spirit Master's demeanor was relatively calm. With the man presumed to be the Three-Eyed Monk having entered the Dang Clinic so peacefully, the odds were high that nothing serious would happen right away.
'Still, I should check it out.'
Rather than heading straight to the Dang Clinic, the Yellow Spirit Master watched from a safe distance. Encountering the Three-Eyed Monk could be dangerous just from crossing paths.
A short while later, he spotted the Dang Clinic bustling far more than usual.
There were several warriors who appeared to surpass first-rate level no matter how he looked at them, and even a massive monk with gray skin. It matched the description of the Three-Eyed Monk he'd heard in rumors.
'...How does young master Dang attract all these people?'
When he first heard that a mysterious master had appeared at the Dang Clinic, he'd thought it unusual. But even after that, people kept flocking endlessly to the place.
First, young master Dan showed up and made Jin Song fall head over heels, then two late-generation prodigies with exceptional talent appeared.
But now it was beyond that.
Even with an open mind, the Yellow Spirit Master had to admit that the people holed up at the Dang Clinic defied common sense.
The collective strength of those gathered there was comparable not to the Qingcheng Chengdu Branch, but to the Qingcheng Sect headquarters itself.
It wasn't as if the Dang Clinic was leaning on the Qingcheng Chengdu Branch to make ends meet—it almost looked like the Qingcheng Chengdu Branch was the one clinging to the Dang Clinic. Talk about a reversal of host and guest.
At least the Qingcheng Sect had a transcendent expert in Elder Yeongheo, so their situation was better. But the Emei Sect, lacking such a figure, was another story. Compared to the Dang Clinic, they even seemed outmatched.
'Sichuan Province's top martial force is the Qingcheng Sect. Second is the Dang Clinic. Third is the Emei Sect...'
Spreading this around the Emei Sect would surely elicit some entertaining reactions.
The Yellow Spirit Master dusted himself off and stood. He thought he should meet Dang Mujin soon.
*
The Yellow Spirit Master lurked around the Dang Clinic for a full three days, then slipped inside when the Three-Eyed Monk stepped out.
Sure enough, every person moving about inside the Dang Clinic exuded an extraordinary aura.
Dang Mujin spotted him and bowed politely.
"Branch Leader. How have you been?"
"It's been a while."
The Yellow Spirit Master sensed something subtly off about Dang Mujin. It hadn't been long since he'd reached first-rate, yet he seemed to have taken another step forward.
But it was unclear if he'd truly broken through the peak wall. There was a hazy air about him.
The Yellow Spirit Master didn't pry into the exact extent of Dang Mujin's achievements.
In situations like this, the social savvy was to steer the conversation toward flattery and probe gently.
"To surpass the peak wall at such a young age. Impressive. A once-in-a-millennium genius."
"It was just luck."
He hadn't expected it, but it seemed Dang Mujin really had broken through the peak wall.
As far as the Yellow Spirit Master knew, Dang Mujin was only twenty-two or twenty-three.
Even he, who possessed considerable martial talent, had only been at the entry of first-rate at that age, and he'd pierced the peak wall in his mid-forties.
And that was after training with the sword since before age ten.
In contrast, Dang Mujin hadn't even touched a sword three years ago. The Yellow Spirit Master was pleased with Dang Mujin's achievements, but at the same time felt a subtle sense of deprivation.
"Anyway, what brings you here?"
When Dang Mujin asked, the Yellow Spirit Master feigned ignorance, as if he hadn't seen the Three-Eyed Monk yet.
"I heard from Jin Song that the Three-Eyed Monk is staying at the Dang Clinic. Thought I'd check if it was true."
"Yes, that's right."
"...How on earth did the Three-Eyed Monk end up in Chengdu?"
Dang Mujin explained the full story to the Yellow Spirit Master.
Following the Three-Eyed Monk's advice to keep his poison arts achievements hidden, Dang Mujin's account was rough around the edges and lacking in detail.
Yet the Yellow Spirit Master didn't sense any omissions.
Even without the poison arts, the contents of Dang Mujin's story were so shocking. The Demonic Cult's Great Protector had acquired immense martial arts and usurped the cult leader position.
The Yellow Spirit Master's voice trembled.
"Young master Dang. Have you told this story to anyone else?"
"No. You're the first, Branch Leader."
The Yellow Spirit Master stood, thinking he needed to report this to headquarters immediately.
But he hesitated, unable to leave abruptly.
"I'm not doubting you. It's just such a crucial matter that I need confirmation. Everything you said is true, right?"
"Yes. I have no reason to deceive you, Branch Leader. And if the story were false, the venerable Three-Eyed Monk wouldn't have come here."
Sound reasoning.
But doubts lingered in the Yellow Spirit Master's mind: 'Is it really the Three-Eyed Monk?' or 'Isn't it just someone who looks eerily similar?'
The world was vast—there could be someone who resembled the Three-Eyed Monk.
Just then, footsteps approached from outside the Dang Clinic. The Three-Eyed Monk, who had stepped out briefly, was returning.
A few local kids trailed behind him into the Dang Clinic. Strangely, the Three-Eyed Monk was popular with the neighborhood children.
It was a pastoral, peaceful scene at first glance, but the Yellow Spirit Master's gaze couldn't meet the Three-Eyed Monk's face—instead, it dropped involuntarily to his feet.
There was no need to ask if he was the real Three-Eyed Monk. His gaze dropping without conscious thought was proof enough that this was the genuine article.
The Yellow Spirit Master sat still to avoid drawing the Three-Eyed Monk's attention, then rose awkwardly.
"Ahem. Thanks for making time. I need to report this Demonic Cult matter to headquarters. That won't be a problem, right?"
"It's fine. But I'd prefer the story about the venerable Three-Eyed Monk not spread if possible. As you know, his karmic ties are quite tangled."
The Yellow Spirit Master nodded readily. It wasn't the Shaolin Temple that held grudges against the Three-Eyed Monk—it was the Qingcheng Sect.
"Understood. I'll tell only the sect leader."
The Yellow Spirit Master left the Dang Clinic at once and headed for Qingcheng Sect headquarters.
*
At the same time, Mok Wana was engulfed in confusion.
Three days ago, when she first entered the Dang Clinic, Mok Wana had assumed it was something like the outer hall of the 'Sichuan Dang Clan.' There was a building next door, surrounded by a high wall, after all.
'That must be the inner hall.'
Mok Wana kept watch, wondering when these people would head to the inner hall.
But a day passed, then two, and no one showed any sign of moving.
That was fine at first. But her suspicion turned to doubt when she saw Dang Mujin facing Dang Jesun.
'...That's Dang Mujin's father?'
If Dang Mujin was the young clan heir, then his father should be the Sichuan Dang Clan leader, right?
Mok Wana's knowledge was limited, but she was certain it was odd for the clan leader to stay in the outer hall. The highest figure usually resided in the grandest building.
To satisfy her curiosity, Mok Wana scanned around for the most approachable person.
The Demonic Cult warriors were intimidating, and Dan Seol-yeong seemed scary for some reason. In the end, she chose Hong Geolgae.
"Um, Hong Geolgae."
"Huh?"
Hong Geolgae jumped in surprise as he replied.
In all his life, women around his age had rarely—if ever more than three times—approached him first.
"When do the clan leader and Dang Mujin head to the inner hall?"
"Inner hall? Was there something like that?"
Mok Wana pointed to the wall adjoining the Dang Clinic's low fence.
"The building next door. Isn't that the inner hall?"
"That's the Qingcheng Chengdu Branch. The Dang Clinic is the clinic attached to the branch."
"The Sichuan Dang Clan?"
"...What's that?"
At this point, it was undeniable. She'd been had.
"Forget it. Pretend you didn't hear."
Mok Wana hid by the Dang Clinic's main gate, then pounced on Dang Mujin the moment he appeared.
"Dang Mujin. Didn't you say before you were the young heir of the Sichuan Dang Clan?"
Dang Mujin faltered. He'd tossed out the lie on a whim without expecting repercussions and had completely forgotten about it.
But he had no real defense.
"...That was just something I said."
Mok Wana felt a mild dizziness. Her instincts screamed to grill him.
"You...!"
But no words followed. It felt like there was something to confront, but she had no idea what or how.
Dang Mujin hadn't gained anything from the lie, nor had she suffered any loss.
Staying at a major clan wouldn't improve her own fortunes either.
Even if this were the Sichuan Dang Clan instead of the Dang Clinic, it'd be Dang Mujin living in luxury—not her. She was just a tagalong who'd ended up here by chance.
'...On second thought, I don't think I've lost anything.'
If anything, navigating a crowd of strangers while watching her step seemed worse than her current good fortune. In fact, the past three days had been thoroughly satisfying for her.
As Mok Wana fell silent in thought, the uneasy Dang Mujin started rambling whatever came to mind.
"On reflection, it was a bit exaggerated, but calling it an outright lie might be a stretch. If you look at it from the perspective of future plans and aspirations, there's quite a bit of truth to it..."
It was disjointed and unconvincing. But suddenly, Mok Wana's expression brightened.
"Hmm. Could be. Got it."
Mok Wana nodded on her own terms and left abruptly, leaving Dang Mujin alone to stare at her back and scratch his head vigorously.
*
The warriors from the Demonic Cult had rented houses around the Dang Clinic and set up independently, one by one.
"Independently" was the term, but it felt a bit half-hearted for true independence.
Their sole criterion for choosing houses was "how close to the Dang Clinic?"—so many lived right up against its walls.
Even the one who'd rented farthest away could reach the Dang Clinic on foot in less than fifteen minutes, and they'd naturally gather in the Dang Clinic courtyard for discussions.
At that moment, as the Dang Clinic evolved beyond a mere clinic into something more, the Qingcheng Sect Leader, Elder Yeongheo, was deep in thought. The reason: the report from the Yellow Spirit Master.
'A headache.'
The Demonic Cult was a gathering of fugitives.
Righteous faction warriors often viewed the Demonic Cult with displeasure, but it was hardly hatred or rage between collectives.
To put it intuitively, it was like annoyance toward the group sheltering troublemakers who'd caused chaos in your neighborhood and fled.
Thus, Righteous-Evil Wars and Righteous-Demonic Wars took entirely different forms.
Righteous-Evil Wars ignited like wildfires among the black道 and unorthodox warriors of central plains' south or north, escalating into massive struggles for hegemony across the central plains.
Righteous-Demonic Wars, by contrast, involved righteous warriors banding together to assault Heavenly Mountain.
When someone who'd committed an unforgivable crime fled to the Demonic Cult, warriors from sects with aligned interests would unite and storm Heavenly Mountain. That was a Righteous-Demonic War.
Such wars were rare, as multiple sects rarely demanded a single sinner be handed over. Compared to Righteous-Evil Wars, they occurred far less—once a century was considered frequent.
Moreover, the aggressors were always the righteous warriors, while the Demonic Cult focused silently on defense.
'But will it stay that way?'
From what he'd heard via the Yellow Spirit Master, the new Demonic Cult Leader was wholly unlike predecessors, openly declaring intent to rampage and claim the central plains.
The notion of formally teaching martial arts to Demonic Cult followers was telling. It signaled transforming the Cult from a mere refuge into a proper martial powerhouse.
At least there was a silver lining: a generous ten-year timeframe had been proposed.
No telling how long it'd take to gather the fractured righteous leaders for talks, but surely not a full decade.
Having finished his deliberations, Elder Yeongheo instructed the Yellow Spirit Master.
"Send messenger pigeons to every alliance and sect. Coordinate schedules with as many sects and clans as possible. We need to hold a meeting."