Chapter 294
Chapter 294
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 294
Chapter Title: Ill Omen
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Regardless of Hyeon-gong harboring impure intentions, Dang Mujin’s group and the righteous martial world were facing a dire situation.
This wasn’t some leisurely talk about the Demonic Cult Leader possibly bringing a storm of bloodshed in the future. They had to somehow hold off the evil sect warriors that Blazing Yama was leading right now.
But knowing what needed to be done didn’t solve everything.
Dang Mujin sank into deep thought.
‘...Forget the Cult Leader for now. Can we even survive this battle?’
Looking back at how they’d somehow overcome obstacles so far, it seemed like they might pull through this time too, but as always, he had no confidence.
‘The problem is that our forces have taken too many losses so far.’
Right before the Great Righteous-Evil War, the righteous sects had six transcendent experts.
Sword Ghost Namgung Jincheon, Divine Victory, Walking Immortal, Spirit Void Master, Spirit Treasure True Person, Radiant Sword Yu Jingwang.
Excluding Yu Jingwang, all were transcendent experts who had surpassed that realm over a decade ago.
‘Out of them, three are dead.’
Divine Victory, Walking Immortal, and Spirit Void Master had lost their lives in this Great Righteous-Evil War.
At least Manryeok Victory and Hong Geolgae had broken through the transcendent wall, so the righteous sects’ transcendent experts were now down to five.
‘...Manryeok Victory and Hong Geolgae.’
Dang Mujin glanced at Hong Geolgae.
The moment Hong Geolgae sensed Dang Mujin’s gaze, he grumbled.
“What? Why are you staring like that?”
“Just.”
“What do you mean ‘just’? That look in your eyes is awfully impure.”
In situations like this, it was simplest to preemptively spout nonsense and end the conversation.
“This is the gaze of a man who captivates women. Learn it if you can. Though you probably can’t.”
“Fine. Looks like you’ve finally lost your mind too.”
As expected, Hong Geolgae chuckled for a bit after hearing Dang Mujin, then lost interest.
In truth, there was some sharp insight in Hong Geolgae’s comment about the impure gaze. Dang Mujin did find Hong Geolgae a bit unreliable.
‘Manryeok Victory is on par with the former Six Reverends, which isn’t strange at all, but Hong Geolgae just doesn’t feel like he’s on their level. Or should I say the Five Reverends now?’
There were three main reasons why Hong Geolgae didn’t feel like he matched the former Six Reverends.
First, his bond with Dang Mujin was too deep.
It would be weirder if he could equate Hong Geolgae, who he’d trained with since his early martial arts days, with the Six Reverends he’d always viewed with subtle awe.
Second, Dang Mujin’s own martial prowess had risen considerably.
In the past, the Six Reverends or transcendent experts had felt like distant, untouchable figures, but now the gap between himself and a transcendent expert didn’t feel that vast.
His conviction had deepened even more after slaying Blood Face Mad Wolf a few days ago. If the situation aligned well and the opponent was a lower-tier transcendent expert, he could put up a fight.
Finally, Hong Geolgae’s actual achievements were simply not that high for a transcendent expert.
‘From what I sense, Hong Geolgae’s level is around Blood Face Mad Wolf or pre-death Muryangja.’
So, what if Hong Geolgae clashed directly with Blazing Yama?
No need for long deliberation. He’d lose for sure.
‘Then, what if Manryeok Victory faces Blazing Yama?’
The outcome wouldn’t change much. He’d fare better than Hong Geolgae, but Manryeok Victory would still be outmatched.
There was no guarantee that Blazing Yama was the only transcendent expert either.
No, judging from the situation so far, Blazing Yama was highly likely to bring along evil sect or Demonic Cult experts. Tracing his movements, he seemed like a very meticulous and proactive individual.
Dang Mujin’s thoughts advanced to the next step. Who would Blazing Yama bring?
‘How many transcendent experts are there in the evil sects’ martial world? I need to gauge their forces to prepare for battle.’
But there was no way to find out. Evil sect warriors who had crossed the transcendent wall didn’t go around announcing their names and titles to the righteous martial world.
News between the righteous and evil flowed as slowly as between villages separated by towering mountains.
It was hard enough to gauge transcendent evil warriors, let alone estimate how many peak or first-rate experts there were if expanding the scope.
‘Maybe Ghost King knows?’
Dang Mujin immediately approached Ghost King and asked.
But Ghost King also seemed unaware of the extent of Blazing Yama’s forces.
Ghost King operated in the northwest, Blazing Yama in the northeast.
It was only natural since their evil sect territories differed.
Dang Mujin’s chest tightened. Battles with uncertain outcomes always frayed the nerves.
As Dang Mujin racked his brains alone, Namgung Myeong and Hong Geolgae approached.
“What are you thinking about?”
Dang Mujin waved his hand dismissively.
“It’s nothing. No need to worry.”
“Who’s worrying? We just want to know what’s on your mind.”
Fair enough. These guys wouldn’t approach out of concern.
Dang Mujin craned his neck to spot Hyeon-gong. The one who might actually help was goofing off by Seolhwa.
Explaining the situation to him felt like begging a snot-nosed kid for help.
“The problem is...”
Namgung Myeong’s reaction was lukewarm even after the explanation, but Hong Geolgae racked his brains and reached a conclusion.
Hong Geolgae using his head. This must be what they mean by a position making the man.
“If we can’t gauge their numbers, we’ve got two options.”
“What are they?”
“First, train hard.”
Classic Hong Geolgae-level advice. Dang Mujin reflexively sighed.
“How do we know when Blazing Yama will strike to leisurely train...? No, forget it. We do need to train, so it’s not wrong. What’s the second?”
“Ask for help.”
Dang Mujin asked back.
“From people who’ll help?”
“Not me, but you’ve got connections. You’re well-connected.”
In other words, handle it yourself.
Consulting with Hong Geolgae always went like this.
Never wrong, but not particularly helpful either.
Still, this time it was somewhat useful.
“Ask for help, huh.”
The first people who came to mind were naturally the Dang Family folks. Three-Eyed Immortal, Jang Il-nam, the Demonic Cult warriors.
They’d never refuse if Dang Mujin asked. But there was a serious issue. The distance between Sichuan and Kaifeng was too great.
“The Dang Family won’t work. Too far to arrive in time.”
“If the Dang Family’s out, what about Divine Nun Hwayeon?”
Dang Mujin’s group didn’t know Divine Nun Hwayeon’s exact level, but she clearly surpassed Blazing Yama by a wide margin.
But Dang Mujin shook his head again.
“Zhongqing’s just as far. And even if it were close, I doubt Divine Nun Hwayeon would readily help.”
“Why?”
“Unlike us, she’s a neutral between righteous and evil.”
Though the Demonic Cult was backing them, most warriors in this fight were righteous or evil sect.
Asking a self-proclaimed neutral like Divine Nun Hwayeon to side with the righteous would likely get refused.
Proof: She’d only helped physically once so far—when fleeing the Demonic Cult. Neutral between righteous and evil, but not righteous and demonic.
Dang Mujin crossed his arms and continued thinking.
Asking Daoist sects in the northwest was problematic too. Kunlun was shattered, Zhongnan had lost their leader, and Huashan and Wudang had suffered heavy Daoist casualties.
Couldn’t expect Qingcheng or Jeomchang aid like before.
‘Jeomchang’s the biggest loss. If I’d known, I’d have told Hero Yu not to return to Yunnan and wait a bit longer.’
At that moment, Hong Geolgae clapped his hands.
“Got it. There are people who’ll help!”
Dang Mujin asked indifferently, without much hope.
“Who?”
“If we head south to Anhui Province, there’s the Namgung Family!”
“Oh, right—the Namgung Family!”
Dang Mujin and Hong Geolgae’s gazes slowly shifted sideways. The last statement came from Namgung Myeong, not them.
‘...What does that guy think of his own clan?’
Anyway, it was a brilliant idea. The Namgung Family was relatively close to Kaifeng, and their forces were formidable. They were considered the second strongest in the righteous martial world after Shaolin Temple.
Plus, the Namgung Family owed Dang Mujin.
But there was a concern. Dang Mujin asked Namgung Myeong.
“Can the Namgung Family help? They’re holding the line against southeast evil sect warriors.”
“Actually, that’s not a big worry. The evil sects south of Anhui, in Jiangxi and Zhejiang, aren’t that strong. The Namgung Family handles things promptly without delay.”
“What do you mean?”
“No need to wait for the Great Righteous-Evil War to erupt. If potentially dangerous evil warriors appear in Zhejiang or Jiangxi, Namgung Family members proactively seek them out for life-or-death duels.”
Dang Mujin and Hong Geolgae recoiled.
Life-or-death duel? It meant eliminating future threats preemptively.
Sure, desperate evil warriors might find it tempting, but the Namgung Family wouldn’t leave them with mere experience.
“How strong are the Namgung Family’s forces?”
“You know my father’s a transcendent expert. They have over ten peak experts too.”
Hong Geolgae jumped in.
“Wait. Drop the ‘expert’ talk. Correct ridiculous claims on the spot.”
“...Most elders, the family head, and branch heads are peak realm. Even among my generation, there are two or so who’ve likely crossed into peak... No, wait.”
Shaolin was unparalleled, but the Namgung Family’s forces were impressive too. Fitting for the top martial clan.
Dang Mujin gauged the dates as he spoke.
“We can’t go ourselves, so let’s send a messenger pigeon. Hope there’s one heading near the Namgung Family.”
“There are pigeons from near the Namgung Family to Kaifeng, but none from here to them.”
Obviously, messenger pigeons didn’t understand human speech or find paths.
They relied on pigeons returning to pre-set homes.
Even sending across the Central Plains didn’t mean pigeons went everywhere; letters arrived at major hubs and were hand-delivered.
Plenty of pigeons were trained to Kaifeng-like metropolises, but virtually none to remote spots like the Namgung Family’s Tianzhu Mountains.
“We can still get replies via pigeon. Better send a person. Or, more reliably, Namgung Myeong, want to head back and ask in person?”
“No.”
Namgung Myeong deliberately waved his left hand instead of his right. The left hand revealing the subtle tension with his father.
“Me going might make it awkward. Better to send a letter in your name requesting aid.”
“Got it.”
“And while sending to the Namgung Family, I’ll tell you a few other clans and sects worth asking. Request from them too.”
“...Yeah.”
Before he knew it, Dang Mujin’s eyes moistened.
How long had it been since Hong Geolgae or Namgung Myeong proved useful without swinging weapons?
‘Yeah. If you’re human, this is how it should be...’
The moment they arrived in Kaifeng, Dang Mujin hired a man and sent him to Anhui with his letter.
The man tucked Dang Mujin’s letter into his bosom, mounted his horse, and galloped south.
*
Over ten days after the man set off, Dang Mujin received a reply via messenger pigeon.
As expected, the Namgung Family’s response was positive.
[Namgung Family warriors will arrive in Kaifeng around the next new moon.]
Not all would come, but for such a major event, Namgung Jincheon surely wouldn’t miss it—a tremendous help.
‘Now we’ve prepared everything we can.’
Dang Mujin set down the letter and smiled contentedly. His mind finally eased a bit.
*
Dang Mujin spent breathless days in Kaifeng.
Already busy with training, he also tended patients, sleeping no more than two hours a day.
Shaolin monks and Beggars’ Sect disciples fretted over him multiple times daily.
“Benefactor Dang. Are you alright?”
“No problem. Don’t worry.”
“If you ruin your health, it’ll cause bigger issues. Rest one day every three, stepping back from patients.”
“Thank you. I’ll do that if it gets too tough.”
But Dang Mujin had no complaints.
Physician work was his true calling, and the results of his consistent efforts were showing.
For instance, several physicians had come to Kaifeng upon hearing he was there.
Two familiar faces among them—names fuzzy, but former Dang Family physician trainees.
The two, and the few who came with them, cupped fists and slightly bowed to Dang Mujin.
Even with propriety, bowing the waist like this was rare.
It was unusually deferential, even for superiors, let alone Dang Mujin being son or nephew age.
Dang Mujin waved flustered hands.
“Our first meeting—too burdensome. Treat me casually.”
“We may be older, but the Dang Family Head is our master, so this courtesy is proper.”
“And those with you...”
“They learn medicine from us, so by extension, you’re their grandmaster.”
The physicians chuckled.
Half earnest, half joking, but enough to stir Dang Mujin deeply.
Yet what moved him most wasn’t their attitude toward him.
It was their patient treatment—eerily familiar traces in their medicine.
Dang Mujin asked an older physician.
“What decoction did you just prescribe?”
“Si Junzi Tang. Anything off?”
“...No. Just thought it was an excellent prescription.”
Prescribing Si Junzi Tang over Li Zhong Tang for slender patients with poor appetite, chronic fatigue, and edema.
For blood stasis, Baekju Powder with rhubarb instead of Da Huang Fu Zi or Da Jian Zhong Tang. And countless others.
As far as Dang Mujin knew, only Strange Physician and he used such methods.
With dozens of physicians who trained at the Dang Family returning home, it hadn’t just spread to Kaifeng.
Strange Physician’s medicine, via Dang Mujin, Dang Jesun, and Chu Sam, was slowly spreading across the Central Plains.
Dang Mujin found this deeply rewarding and joyful, yet somehow melancholic and lonely.
*
Lying down with eyes closed brought no sleep, so Dang Mujin climbed a nearby hill.
Atop the hill stood a solitary tree. A walnut tree.
Walnut trees are toxic, rarely allowing nearby growth. The loneliest of trees.
But good for Dang Mujin. Clear view thanks to it repelling others. He sat before the walnut tree.
And pulled out pre-brought liquor.
Expensive stuff, the kind poseurs liked.
No proper side dishes. Just moon and bottle under the night.
Beneath the moon, Dang Mujin drank the fragrant liquor alone.
Not savoring leisurely like others.
Like a parched man gulping stream water, he chugged hastily.
Mouth to bottle, tilted twice—most vanished into his gut. Intoxication needed a bit more wait.
Dang Mujin gazed skyward. Slightly waning but still round moon watched him.
Mouth and nose filled with plum blossom-like aroma.
Waiting quietly, intoxication soon reached his headtop.
Dang Mujin grinned broadly, leaned against the walnut tree, and fell deeply asleep.