Chapter 236
Chapter 236
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 236
Chapter Title: Human Gu
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Jinram headed out of the cave as per Gyobuhwa's orders. Only then did a faint flicker of unease cross his face.
Up until now, Jinram had never disobeyed Gyobuhwa's commands, nor had he ever failed to carry them out.
But this time, there was a slight difference.
Jinram found Gyobuhwa's order extremely distasteful.
'...What choice do I have?'
Unwilling or not, he had no intention of defying it. After all, a bodyguard was expected to follow even the most disagreeable instructions. A bodyguard was less an independent person and more an extension of their superior.
Jinram moved quietly toward the rundown shack where Mokwana was staying.
As Jinram entered the shack, Mokwana, who had been dozing lightly, woke up with a start.
She tensed slightly as she sat up, but the moment she saw Jinram's face, she relaxed with a sigh of relief.
Instead, it was Jinram who felt flustered.
'Why is she like this?'
A strange man had entered the room where a woman was staying alone. Even if she didn't suspect foul play, she should at least be on guard.
Yet Mokwana showed no such signs at all.
Only then did Jinram realize why he had found Mokwana so peculiar.
He had never met anyone who trusted him so completely.
Not even his master, Gyobuhwa, trusted Jinram entirely.
What Gyobuhwa trusted wasn't Jinram the man himself.
He trusted only the missions Jinram had successfully completed so far and the loyalty ingrained in Jinram's mind.
The fact that he had to betray Mokwana's trust shook Jinram to his core.
His right hand fidgeted repeatedly at his waist, but he couldn't bring himself to grip the sword hilt.
'It's only been a little over half a month since we met. Why am I hesitating?'
Mokwana spoke in an innocent tone.
"Shall I guess why you're here? Can't sleep, right?"
"No."
"Why are you embarrassed? It looks exactly right to me. Don't let my looks fool you—I can read people like a book."
Mokwana rattled off her wildly off-base guess with total confidence, then added a touch of self-praise.
"Sit down there. I'll tell you stories until you're sleepy. Got any questions? Ask me anything about life in the Central Plains."
Finally, Jinram's hand grasped the sword hilt.
But his hand felt heavy.
The urge to strike her neck without hesitation clashed in his mind with the desire not to kill her.
Then, a sudden thought struck him.
Jinram said,
"Mok girl. You said you know how to use poison, right?"
"Of course. Even Dang Mujin isn't as familiar with poisons as I am."
"Show me your strongest one."
"It could be dangerous."
"I'm a warrior of the Poison Gate too. No greenhorn from the Central Plains can touch me with their poison arts, no matter how hard they try."
Excitement gleamed in Mokwana's eyes.
It was the first time Jinram had spoken to her at such length, and his attitude even carried a subtle challenge.
Mokwana grinned confidently.
"Heh. Don't regret it."
Mokwana was highly skilled with poisons, but unlike Dang Mujin, she didn't know practical combat methods for deploying poison arts.
The extent of her poison use was emitting faint toxic mist from her pores or gathering venom on her fingertips—crude techniques even for someone versed in poisons.
In any case, eager to show off how impressive her poison arts were, Mokwana concentrated thick venom on the tip of her right index finger.
At a glance, it looked like a clear water droplet.
But the faint, distinctive scent of venom spread through the shack, letting Jinram know it was potent stuff.
"Just one drop?"
"As if."
Mokwana let more venom flow, pooling it in her left palm.
It was her first time showing off her poison arts to anyone, so she seemed a bit nervous yet smug.
"I'll show you how strong this poison is. It's dangerous, so stand back a little."
Mokwana tilted her palm, intending to let the venom seep into the wooden floor of the shack.
But the instant the venom began dripping from her palm, Jinram extended his left hand to catch it.
As a peak-level warrior, Jinram could repel poison with his internal energy, but he hadn't trained in poison arts himself.
Thus, his palm was poisoned on contact, turning a sickly dark red in an instant.
Moreover, unable to fully resist the toxin, his skin began to blister and burn.
Jinram didn't so much as groan, showing no sign of pain.
Mokwana, however, was utterly shocked, her heart nearly stopping.
"What are you doing?!"
Jinram didn't stop there.
With a blank expression, he smeared some of the venom onto his jaw, forearm skin, and even a bit on his clothes.
Faint smoke rose from his garments, and burns like severe fire scars marred his skin.
"Uh... uh..."
While Mokwana panicked at the unforeseen turn, Jinram scolded her.
"I told you clearly a few days ago. Why haven't you left yet?"
"Why should I? Besides, if I go anywhere, it has to be with Dang Mujin."
"That's your mistake. This is all on you, so don't blame me."
Finally, strength entered Jinram's right hand on the sword hilt.
He drew his blade in a flash and pierced Mokwana's shoulder.
"Aaack!"
Jinram slowly withdrew the sword. Blood spurted from Mokwana's shoulder, dripping down the blade in crimson beads.
Jinram gazed at her, sword lowered.
But Mokwana sensed no hostility in his eyes. He didn't seem poised to swing again.
Gritting through the pain, Mokwana asked,
"Why are you doing this all of a sudden?"
Jinram offered no explanation. He simply notified her in a cold voice.
"We'll take Young Master Dang with us."
"Take him where..."
"Leave."
Jinram cut her off with curt words.
"Get out now. Don't ever come back here. If you do, I'll kill you."
With that, Jinram fell silent.
Instead, he fixed Mokwana with a piercing stare.
It was an icy gaze that anyone could see meant business.
In a trembling voice, Mokwana asked,
"Is Mujin safe?"
"If you cooperate obediently."
Meaning she could die if she didn't. As Mokwana opened her mouth to speak, Jinram's sword flashed toward her heart and halted just short.
This time, it carried a vicious killing intent.
It was far beyond what Mokwana, who had never even held a sword, could withstand.
"Get out. Now."
Clutching her bleeding shoulder, Mokwana dragged her shaking legs and fled the shack.
Jinram watched her retreating figure for a long while.
It must feel like this, he thought—a father forced to watch as he abandons his child by the water's edge.
After some time had passed, Jinram returned to the cave and reported to Gyobuhwa.
"It's done."
Gyobuhwa's eyes scanned Jinram's appearance.
Jinram's expression was as coldly impassive as ever, his gaze steady without a hint of tremor.
But the fire-like burn scars and the raw, red dermis beneath stood out starkly. His left hand was dark red too. Clearly poison wounds.
"How'd you get those injuries?"
"She must've realized the situation, because she was already fleeing. I chased her down and nearly caught her when she unleashed a hidden poison art."
"A cunning bitch. You killed her?"
"Yes."
"The body?"
"I slashed her a few times, and wild beasts caught the blood scent and swarmed. I left her to be torn apart alive. She screamed until her ears bled, then stopped breathing."
Gyobuhwa eyed Jinram's sword. Clear traces of blood trailed down the blade.
The blood was unmistakably human, carrying the faint toxic scent unique to poison art practitioners.
"Hmm."
Up until now, Jinram had never failed a mission or refused an order.
Nor was he in a position to refuse.
Thus, Gyobuhwa harbored no doubts about Jinram.
Pointing at the limp Dang Mujin, Gyobuhwa said,
"Good work. Just seal his pressure points again, then go rest."
"Understood."
*
Afterward, Gyobuhwa visited Dang Mujin frequently to persuade him.
Dang Mujin lay stuffed in a corner of the cave, barely able to speak.
"I'm sorry for the rough handling. But my situation is so urgent I had no choice."
"If you're going to apologize, maybe don't do anything worth apologizing for."
"I'm sorry. I'll reward you handsomely, so please understand my position. I need your skills."
Dang Mujin didn't know the full story, but he held firm with unyielding resolve.
He was certain Gyobuhwa wouldn't kill him.
'Gyobuhwa didn't subdue me to harm me.'
Dang Mujin had no intention of abandoning the many connections he'd built so far to be dragged off to some unfamiliar land.
Moreover, unlike his previous entanglements, Gyobuhwa's affair wasn't something that would wrap up in a few months.
At shortest, years. At longest, a lifetime commitment.
"Where's Mokwana?"
"I explained everything and sent her back. She's probably heading home to spread the word."
Dang Mujin shut his mouth.
Gyobuhwa diligently wooed him, offering all sorts of rewards and proposals to earn his trust.
But no positive response came.
After prolonged persuasion, Gyobuhwa spoke in a venomous tone.
"Dang Mujin. Don't think I'll keep humbling myself forever. I have my last resort too."
"Your last resort? Sounds exciting. Give it your best shot."
Dang Mujin snorted and turned his head away.
The gesture eerily mimicked Gyobuhwa's own.
*
Mokwana clutched her sword-pierced shoulder as she stumbled through Mount Nogun.
She soon found a suitable spot, tore a strip from the hem of her skirt, and bound the wound tightly. Blood soaked through, staining the cloth red.
Her time helping at the clinic proved useful in many ways.
'Bones seem intact. Did he avoid a fatal wound on purpose?'
Mokwana sorted her thoughts.
She didn't know the exact circumstances, but a few facts were clear.
'Something's happened to Dang Mujin.'
'Jinram schemed this to keep me from dying.'
She knew his attitude held goodwill.
She knew he'd warned her beforehand to prevent something like this.
Yet each throb from her shoulder stirred faint resentment. Resentment and goodwill tangled in turmoil.
To forget the pain, Mokwana leaned against a tree trunk and steadied her breathing.
'I have to save Mujin somehow.'
But with her abilities, she couldn't break through Jinram and Gyobuhwa to rescue Dang Mujin.
'Best to go to the villagers and ask for help?'
Mokwana drew a deep breath and stood.
But there was a serious problem. She didn't know the way back to the village.
It was her first time on Mount Nogun, and she'd only trailed behind Dang Mujin to get here.
She didn't know how to navigate the dense forest. Naturally.
Even if she did, there was no guarantee she'd reach the village in time.
People lose consciousness from blood loss. But Mokwana didn't know exactly how much blood that took.
Somehow, her mind already felt foggy.
Mokwana tugged at the cloth around her shoulder. Pressing the sword wound intensified the pain, snapping her to full alertness.
Mokwana entrusted her fate to the heavens.
'It has to be this way.'
Relying on instinct, she picked a direction and strode straight ahead.
No basis for it. Better than staying put.
Unfortunately, her steps led not to the village but deeper into Mount Nogun's heart.
To a place even locals feared to approach.
After walking a short distance, an even graver issue arose.
To make matters worse, mountain beasts began gathering, drawn by the scent of blood.
Grrr. Low growls echoed from all sides.
Mokwana tried to climb a tree to escape the beasts, but her shoulder wound prevented it.
No, she could barely even lift her arm, let alone climb.
'What do I do?'
No time to think.
Crunch-crunch—
The sound of stepping on long-accumulated fallen leaves rang out.
Then, something far too large for a wild dog charged at Mokwana.
'A wolf!'
Mokwana barely twisted away. A long muzzle grazed past her neck.
The foul, carnivorous stench of a meat-eating beast hit her. The smell of death.
'I have to run.'
Mokwana gripped her trembling legs and fled desperately.
Noisy clamor erupted behind her. Packs of wolves yipping together, mixed with low cries from unidentified beasts.
Not because they failed to catch her or were just following.
The mountain beasts of Mount Nogun were fighting over who would claim the fresh prey.
Her death was merely delayed, with no escape in sight.
Mokwana ran for her life. Until her lungs burned and her head spun.
She just ran. Ran, tripped, rolled, got up, ran again.
At some point, the shoulder pain faded into the background.
These things never happened when she was with Dang Mujin.
Beasts never approached him easily, and if they did, he dispatched them effortlessly.
Mokwana keenly felt Dang Mujin's absence.
'Please!'
How long had she run? The wolf pack's breaths, which had seemed to fade, faintly returned.
No matter how fast she ran or leaped, she couldn't evade their sense of smell.
Terror whitened her mind.
But then, Mokwana caught a faint, familiar scent.
Poison. A subtle toxic aura wafted from somewhere.
Reflexively, Mokwana bolted toward it. Whatever lay at the end couldn't be worse than now, so no reason to hesitate.
After running for her life, Mokwana spotted a massive serpent.