Peach's Journey in the Martial World - 2
"Hand over everything you've got."
"Hah, Young Lady Han····."
"Oh? How do you know my name?"
"·····."
After treating people all over the village like that, it would be stranger if they didn't know who I was.
"Not handing it over? I should've just let you die back then. Huh?"
"Ah, I understand."
One of the Punglim Three Brothers I'd been talking to rummaged through his robes and pulled out a small pouch, offering it to me.
"Keep collecting more from now on."
"·····."
"Answer."
"Y-yes·····."
Inside the pouch were a single gleaming silver coin and several yellowish copper coins. They looked like they'd been saving up carefully.
"Then finish what you were doing."
"····Yes?"
"I said finish what you were doing."
"Ah, yes····."
Leaving the eldest brother's reluctant reply behind, I climbed back onto the bike. Just then, a wooden window creaked open with a rattling sound. A gaze that felt like it was sizing me up came from inside.
It was the kind of look high-ranking people often gave when looking down on others.
"Punglim."
"Yes, Young Lady Han."
"You guys should probably just run away, you know? The kid riding that thing looks seriously dangerous."
The moment I finished speaking, the Punglim Three Brothers' heads snapped toward the carriage. People riding in carriages usually had power or wealth, so I couldn't figure out what gave them the guts to surround it. Seeing how they'd left their original village, they were probably planning to make a big score and then disappear.
"Hmm."
Even though the Punglim Three Brothers had drawn their swords, the old coachman driving the carriage wore an utterly relaxed expression. Something felt off.
"No matter how shabby the carriage looks, what are you thinking touching people like that? Do you have multiple lives or something?"
"Hup····!"
"Aigoo, I don't know. Just run away already."
The Punglim Three Brothers, who had been rolling their eyes, quickly sheathed their swords. Shrrrng.
"Uh, let's go, quick."
"Yes, big brother."
The Punglim Three Brothers kicked up dust as they ran off noisily. They were pretty fast. They must have learned some martial arts.
—Chik, chik.
While I lit my pipe after they left, two pairs of eyes turned toward me. The coachman radiated pressure, while the person inside the carriage oozed boredom. It didn't seem intentional—just natural, like they'd lived that way their whole lives.
"Huu—"
I met their gazes while puffing on my pipe but didn't do anything in particular. It was like they were curious what animals in a zoo enclosure would do next.
"Beep?"
"Huh?"
Dan-pung spoke up, probably wondering why I was just smoking.
"Dan-pung, stop with the 'abababa' game already. Your throat's all hoarse."
"Bii— beep!"
Dan-pung tilted his head in confusion, not understanding what he'd done wrong, and slowly wagged his tail. The wind and the shaking bike had made his voice cut off in funny little bursts, and apparently that had been very entertaining.
"No. If you keep doing that, you'll have to take really bitter medicine."
〈Heal〉
Light from my hand seeped into Dan-pung.
"Beep!"
When I patted his head, he closed his eyes contentedly. He was such a smart little guy—he'd probably regulate himself just fine.
"Huu—"
Thud!
After tapping out my pipe and grabbing the handlebars again, the fluffy little things gathered in front. This must be their favorite spot.
"Let's go."
Vroooom—!!
The bike shot forward, cutting through the wind.
"Beep! Hee! Hee! Beep!"
***
"Huff···! Huff···!"
"Huu···! Go a little faster."
"Captain! We're really going to die at this rate!"
The Heavenly Blood Squad, the elite force directly under the Heavenly Demon Cult's Grand Elder, panted heavily.
"We have no choice. As long as Young Lady Han keeps moving on that strange iron horse, we have to keep chasing."
Every member of the Heavenly Blood Squad was pushing their internal energy to the limit, even sustaining internal injuries as they continued the pursuit.
"Please release the sealed meridians. We're really going to collapse at this rate."
The captain looked at the squad members with blood trickling from their mouths. But he shook his head.
"····Not yet."
The mission the Heavenly Blood Squad had been given required absolute secrecy. Whenever the Heavenly Demon Cult and the Murim Alliance met, blood was bound to flow. Good and evil. Orthodox and demonic. They were relationships that could never mix. But the current situation with the divine physician and the carrier pigeons had made things even worse.
In this kind of situation, the captain judged that unsealing their meridians and revealing their demonic energy would ruin everything.
"We won't unseal the meridians unless Young Lady Han's life is in danger."
Currently, the Heavenly Blood Squad couldn't even use ten percent of their full power because of the sealed meridians. The one saving grace was that Han Ga-eul had reduced her speed to less than half at some point.
"Huu! Huu!"
The Heavenly Blood Squad members, who had been pushing forward while gasping for breath, came to an abrupt stop when their captain raised his hand. It was because they'd encountered the carriage where Han Ga-eul had stopped.
'Please don't cause any trouble, please····.'
The captain had observed Han Ga-eul for a short while. She was a rough stone. A pretty, hard, rough stone that could shatter chisels. No matter how she'd lived until now, she didn't seem to know the meaning of the word "compromise."
'She's a walking disaster····.'
***
Crash!
The expensive wooden table struck by a palm split in half and met its end.
"Inner Hall Master, say that again!"
"M-Master, please calm yourself."
The Murim Alliance Master's white eyebrows trembled at the Inner Hall Master's words.
"Do I look like I can calm down right now? Where in the world is the divine physician and what is he doing!"
"The Demonic Cult····."
"The Demonic Cult?"
The Master's eyes widened before the Inner Hall Master could even finish.
"Ahem! The Demonic Cult sent word that the divine physician left their territory several days ago, so we should stop sending carrier pigeons."
Yang Ik-jun, the Inner Hall Master of the Murim Alliance with the title of Lightning Spear, felt his legs go weak under the Master's gaze. As the head of an organization that claimed to represent the orthodox path, he rarely lost his temper in private matters. But this was different.
This was the Murim Alliance Master, known by the grand title of Sword King. Under Sword King Namgung Hwi's gaze, Yang Ik-jun felt like he was dying.
There was a saying that the sword was the king of all weapons. In other words, among countless weapons, it was the greatest. It was the most common weapon and made up the majority of martial artists' armaments. That was why, among the many titles given to sword-wielding martial artists, "Sword King" carried the highest meaning.
"Huu, I'm sorry."
"It's fine."
The Sword King, having calmed his excitement, easily apologized to Yang Ik-jun. But contrary to his words, the way he was still clenching his fists made it clear he hadn't fully calmed down yet.
"The Beggars' Union has spread the divine physician's appearance."
"The Beggars' Union····."
"Yes. I've already reported it to the Chief Steward. Thanks to that, it's going to cost quite a bit of money."
Carrier pigeons and hawks that delivered messages over long distances were worth their weight in gold. Similarly, the Beggars' Union, an information organization and beggar group, was known as a money-eating hippo. Because the land was so vast, information was as valuable as its importance.
"We're still searching for the whereabouts of Inspector Jeon Ho, who delivered the first message. If we reach him, the divine physician will come running quickly."
"Huu, I understand. I couldn't even reward the Inner Hall Master for his hard work and only got angry. You've worked hard."
"Not at all. I only did my duty."
The first letter Yang Ik-jun received through Jeon Ho was about the divine physician's medical activities. The divine physician's treatment, which didn't discriminate between high and low, noble and humble, would serve as an example to many. That was why the divine physician had gone to the Demonic Cult without hesitation, Yang Ik-jun thought.
'The divine physician has such a kind heart, so when he hears this news, he'll come running right away.'
***
"These are so chewy and delicious."
"Delicious!"
"Beep!"
Making dumplings had reached an art form. I'd bought them from a roadside stall and steamed them, so I hadn't expected much, but they were surprisingly tasty.
"Kids, eat slowly."
Even though they were eating dumplings instead of their usual flowers and sunflower seeds, they said it was delicious too. While we were eating dumplings on a mat I'd casually laid out by the roadside, people started gathering and murmuring.
"I've finished eating, so I'll start again. Next patient."
"M-me!"
A man approached. He had a wooden splint on his arm wrapped tightly with cloth.
"How did you break it?"
"That····."
The patient with the broken arm scratched his head with his remaining hand instead of answering.
"Well, there are a lot of people, so just say it quickly."
"A-arm wrestling····."
The man's face turned bright red. At the same time, laughter erupted from the people gathered around. In any world, you had to acknowledge that men did strange things.
"I'll set the bone. It'll sting a little."
"Yep!"
Crack!
〈Heal〉
I removed the splint, aligned the bone, and healed it at the same time. The man's complexion, which had been tearing up from the pain, improved instantly.
"Wow····! It doesn't hurt, Divine Physician."
"That's good. Thirty copper coins—put them in here and go."
"Thank you! Thank you!"
The man put the coins in the basket and kept bowing his head. Just then, someone pushed through the crowd and appeared.
"Huu! I came because you told me to come in person!"
A chin covered in grease. A jiggling belly and sagging cheeks. A walking moneybag.
"Where are you sending people? If you're sick, you should crawl over here yourself, you brat."
"Gah····!"
"You're a gold plaque."
"Wh-what!!? Are you talking about a gold ingot? That's ridiculous!"
Each gold coin was worth twenty million won. A gold ingot worth fifty gold coins came to a billion won, so the man's reaction was understandable. Still, I needed to earn a lot here to go skill shopping later.
"If you don't like it, die then. Last time, a kid similar to you ended up dying a horrible death."
"Hup!"
The man eventually stumbled backward.
"Next patient."
"Yes!"
A confident-looking girl around ten years old filled the spot where the man had left.
"What hurts?"
"My mother is sick. Please give me medicine, Divine Physician."
"Where does your mother hurt?"
"She hurts a lot."
"Hmm····. I need to see her to know?"
The dirty-looking child rummaged through her clothes and pulled out a few coins.
"I have money."
She seemed to have misunderstood my words.
"The medicine costs one coin. Put it in that basket."
"Yes!"
Clink!
"Then come with me····."
As I reached out to take the child's hand, someone jumped over the crowd and landed lightly in front of me.
"Divine Physician. I'm Jeon Ho, the Murim Alliance's Deputy Inspector!"
Bang!
The man who had loudly clapped his fist against his palm introduced himself. He was someone I'd seen before with Namgung Myeong, who had offered the elixir.
"Ah, yes."
"The Alliance Master is looking for you. Please come with me quickly. It's urgent."
"I don't want to."
"Yes! Then prepare···· Wait, what?"
"I said I don't want to."
"Wh-why····?"
"Ah, I'm busy, so don't interfere with my business and go away. Why are there so many annoying brats?"
Meanwhile, the child grabbed the hand I'd extended. From the strength in her grip, she seemed worried that Jeon Ho would take me away.
"Come with me to see my mother."
"Yes!"
I stored the mat and coin basket in my inventory and was about to leave when the man named Jeon Ho blocked my path again.
"Divine Physician, why! There's a patient waiting whose life hangs by a thread!"
"This child's mother is waiting too."
Jeon Ho's gaze moved to the child holding my hand, and he let out a deep sigh. Then he grabbed the arm the child was holding. It was like he didn't want to do this but had no choice.
"Divine Physician."
"What is this. Let go?"
"It's the Alliance Master's order."
"Order? This brat, you're really pissing me off. Do you want to die?"
At my words, Jeon Ho, who had looked quite flustered, started putting strength into his grip. I had left it alone because the kid was holding my hand, but he seemed to have gone crazy. What I'd learned from doing business here was that these people tried to solve things with force when things didn't go their way.
"Why are there so many people in this neighborhood who try to solve things with force? Do I look that easy to push around?"
"Yes!"
The answer came from the child who had been holding my hand. Even in this situation, she was still bold.
"That's true."
When I patted the child's tangled, unwashed hair, she smiled brightly.
"Do you know how to count numbers?"
"Yes!"
"Then close your eyes, cover your ears tightly, and count to ten, okay?"
"Okay!"
Jeon Ho's grip was getting stronger and stronger. It was silent pressure. Meanwhile, the child started counting.
"O~ne."
"Divine Physician. We don't have time to waste on a child like that."
"T~wo."
"What kind of child is 'a child like that'?"
Jeon Ho sighed deeply and looked at the child, then immediately frowned.
"Thr~ee."
"It's a child who might have some unknown illness. I was thinking of the Divine Physician····."
Crack!
"Gack?!"
"Fo~ur."
When I grabbed his neck, Jeon Ho started struggling.
Crack!
"Kek!"
"I don't care if you guys play around cutting each other's throats with swords or not, so don't touch the kids and leave me alone too. Got it? Before I kill you all."
Crack! Crack!
"Kek! Kek!"
"Fi~ve."
***
Outside Hefei in Anhui Province, something appeared like a shadow in front of the coachman who had been unharnessing the horses from the carriage to feed them. After hearing the report from the person in black clothes, the coachman nodded and immediately approached the carriage.
Knock knock.
At the coachman's knock, the wooden door opened and a lazy gaze looked down at him.
"Lord Jinmu. We've found the divine physician's whereabouts. It's the woman with peach-colored hair we encountered earlier."
"Tsk····. Bring her in."
"Yes!"
The Imperial Guard's Jinmu Division, under the Emperor's direct command, was the only institution in the imperial court that operated independently of the law. The Jinmu Division managed both the punishment and imprisonment of criminals and the military forces. That was why everyone feared the Jinmu Division, which wielded absolute power. Countless people had disappeared without a trace because of them.
"How annoying·····."