Chapter 277
Chapter 277
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 277
Chapter Title: Covered in Blood
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Dang Mujin's group pressed on along the mountain path of the Qilian Mountains.
Though their pace was a bit slow, the two little ones chattered endlessly, spinning tales that kept boredom at bay.
In the midst of their journey, Hong Geolgae, who had scouted ahead, returned and waved his hand. It meant a village lay ahead.
Without a word, Dang Mujin's group came to a halt.
"Why'd we stop?"
Yarul Lan looked up at Hyeon-gong and asked.
Hyeon-gong was especially kind to the two children, and they followed him most closely.
It proved the old saying that children could see through a wicked heart was nothing but nonsense.
Hyeon-gong answered curtly.
"Even adults' legs hurt after walking too much."
"I can still walk more."
"You were riding on my back and sleeping just a little while ago."
Yarul Lan and Yarul Hwan possessed remarkable stamina for their age.
They kept up with the group on their short legs without much trouble, and even if they grew weary and wilted, a brief piggyback ride restored their energy in no time.
In some ways, children's endurance outshone that of adults.
In any case, the reason they weren't approaching the village now had nothing to do with stamina.
If the village was empty, it would be littered with corpses—a problem. If unorthodox martial artists were holed up there, they'd have to make corpses—a problem.
The best plan was to handle it while the children slept and slip past the village.
But they didn't have to wait long. After feeding Yarul Lan and Yarul Hwan an early dinner, the two soon nodded off and fell fast asleep.
Only then did Dang Mujin's group rise and approach the village. No signs of life stirred.
'Is this another abandoned village too? Looks like the unorthodox martial artists have already moved on. The bodies are probably outside the village?'
As he thought that and prepared to leave, Nangong Ming sensed an approaching presence.
For someone to draw near even after spotting the group meant they were likely confident in their own skills.
'The Ghost King?'
Nangong Ming drew his sword and slipped behind a building.
But the figure who appeared wasn't the Ghost King—it was some middle-aged man.
He wasn't approaching the group out of confidence in his martial prowess; he clearly had no idea they were there.
Nangong Ming sheathed his sword and stepped out smoothly.
Sure enough, the man startled upon seeing him.
"Who are you?"
"Just travelers passing through."
"...Drifters in the Qilian Mountains?"
The man eyed Nangong Ming up and down, finally noticing the sword at his waist.
He tensed and shrank back.
"No need to worry. We mean no harm."
Jin Hae stepped forward, the sleeping children tucked under his arms.
He figured showing the kids would put the man at ease, but the middle-aged man only looked more suspicious.
"Urgh...!"
"Don't misunderstand. We're not kidnapping them. Trouble struck the village ahead, and these are the only two survivors we brought along."
"Ah... I see."
This time, Dang Mujin's group examined the man's appearance.
His sleeves and bosom were stained with copious amounts of human blood—not splattered, but smeared from holding corpses.
He had clearly been burying villagers.
"By the way, what brings you here alone in the village?"
"I'm a herb gatherer. I roam the Qilian Mountains digging up herbs, dry them properly, and sell them outside to scrape by."
"It looks like disaster hit this village. How did you survive alone?"
At Dang Mujin's question, the herb gatherer's face darkened.
"I have no idea what happened. I went out gathering herbs the day before yesterday and came back this morning to find everyone dead. I'm on my way back after burying the bodies."
As Dang Mujin drew a little closer, he caught the scent wafting from the man—a bitter herbal aroma too strong to be masked by the smell of blood.
'He's not lying about being a herb gatherer.'
Those who wandered the mountains for days with sacks full of herbs naturally carried the earthy scent of plants and roots on them.
"At least it's a silver lining amid the misfortune. You were lucky."
"Do you know what happened?"
"Martial artists passed through and slaughtered the villagers. As I mentioned, everyone in the village ahead was massacred except these two children."
"Ah..."
The herb gatherer sighed, finally grasping the situation.
Dang Mujin pointed west and asked.
"Is the next village that way?"
"Yes."
"Thank you. If you meet any other survivors, let them know a herb gatherer made it out alive."
Thanks to the herb gatherer, they no longer needed to waste time burying bodies themselves. A small courtesy like that was the least they could do.
As Dang Mujin's group gathered their things to head to the next village, the herb gatherer spoke up tensely.
"I can guide you to the next village. Shall we go together?"
"Better stay back—there might be fighting. If you must check the situation, wait a day or two."
Unexpectedly, the herb gatherer dug in his heels.
"My master is in the next village. I have to see with my own eyes if she's all right."
"Your master, huh."
Just like martial artists or craftsmen, herb gatherers often apprenticed under a master.
Without proper training, they'd mistake similar-looking herbs, sell them, and cause trouble.
The herb gatherer pleaded again.
"You're outsiders, right? The paths ahead are easy to get lost on. Better I guide you than you wander."
"...If you insist."
Just like that, the group set off with one extra member.
It was actually a decent turn of events for them.
With the herb gatherer taking over the kids from Jin Hae, the group could go all-out if a fight broke out.
The next village wasn't far, but it differed crucially from the last. Signs of life flickered even in the dead of night.
Instead of heading straight in, Dang Mujin's group climbed a nearby hillside, hid, and peered down. Sure enough, people moved about now and then.
The herb gatherer narrowed his eyes and said.
"...Strangers."
Unorthodox martial artists, as expected. His gaze then shifted to a small house.
There sat a sturdy-looking old woman.
The herb gatherer let out a relieved sigh.
"Good—my master's unharmed."
"That old woman is your master?"
"Yes. She's a herb gatherer and physician. I couldn't handle physician work, so I only learned gathering..."
Anyone could see the herb gatherer's master was unusual.
People shunned female physicians or herb gatherers, claiming herbs gathered by women carried yin energy, and they'd lowball the price.
Female physicians were even rarer.
Of course, they weren't nonexistent—figures like Lady Yi or Lady Bao had left their mark in history. Still, they were so few that this was Dang Mujin's first time seeing one in person.
The issue wasn't the herb gatherer's master, though.
All they could see was the back, but the wrinkled arms and nape, and the single remaining arm suggested the person facing the old woman was unmistakably the Twin Blood Elder.
Hard to call him "twin" anymore with only one arm left, though.
Dang Mujin squinted at the old woman's treatment.
No miraculous technique to regrow the severed arm—just grinding herbs, mixing them into a paste, and applying it to the wound.
Whatever herb it was, it would at best prevent infection.
Then Jin Hae spoke to the group.
"You're not planning to charge in right away... You'll slip in once those guys fall asleep?"
"Slip in?"
"Yes. We can win. Not many are staying in that village."
Jin Hae's assessment had its basis.
Only four houses in the village, none palatial. At most, a dozen or so people could fit.
Even assuming the Twin Blood Elder, two peak experts, and the rest first-rate, a surprise attack to thin their numbers first would make it winnable.
With Dang Mujin's Flying Wheel, they could take out two peak experts' heads before the fight even started—ideal.
'No, it's not just winnable. We'd have the edge.'
According to the other Daoists, two from Dang Mujin's group had held off the Twin Blood Elder's assault together—Hong Geolgae and Nangong Ming, was it?
Three could handle him comfortably; four in concert would dominate.
And there were five peak experts present, including Jin Hae.
Plus, the Twin Blood Elder had lost an arm. Wielding one weapon instead of two meant losing more than half his strength.
Even two attackers could subdue him.
Jin Hae's heart raced.
Though Dang Mujin's group advised ignoring others' opinions, Jin Hae hadn't fully shaken his lingering ambition.
Lending a hand in slaying a notorious unorthodox elder here would raise his name considerably.
But Dang Mujin, who had listened silently, opposed it.
"No. That's a poor choice."
"Why?"
"Your assumption's off a bit."
"What is it?"
"Why assume the unorthodox martial artists split evenly into groups of three?"
"Doesn't that seem natural?"
Dang Mujin shook his head.
"Not natural at all. Put yourself in the Ghost King's shoes. Would you travel with the Twin Blood Elder? Or separately?"
"Ah!"
Dang Mujin's point hit something Jin Hae hadn't considered.
The Twin Blood Elder and Ghost King had fled their sect far away to the Qilian Mountains, clearly wary of pursuers.
And now, splitting forces because food and water were scarce.
Would two super-peak experts scatter to protect underlings out of concern?
Unlikely.
Self-preservation came first. They'd naturally cluster with the strongest. Weaker ones couldn't object.
'That village might have no one below first-rate. They could have ditched the weak and gathered only peak experts or above—no surprise there.'
The more he pondered, the more it felt like certainty. The Ghost King was surely there too.
Five against two super-peak experts was blatantly risky, healthy or not.
A chill ran down Jin Hae's spine. Ambition had nearly cost him his life.
"So, what will you do?"
At Jin Hae's question, Hyeon-gong sat in a relaxed pose and replied.
"Best to scout if the Ghost King's in the village and wait for the others who took different paths to find us. If we don't leave the Qilian Mountains, they'll come back searching."
Sound reasoning.
The enemy were scattered remnants, many to be picked off individually in the mountains.
Once forces gathered for a siege, taking the Ghost King and Twin Blood Elder's heads would be straightforward.
Jin Hae set aside his worries and relaxed.
But unlike Jin Hae, Dang Mujin and his friends' faces weren't bright.
They knew all too well that no matter how meticulously one planned, the world rarely followed script.