Chapter 481

Creak. Click.

Mungyeong closed the door, leaving the boatman alone, and thought,

That should be enough.

Perhaps because he had lived so long, the boatman was far quicker on the uptake than Mungyeong had expected.

He would have to spend the rest of his life under the authorities’ watch, but that was still a hundred times better than turning up dead without anyone knowing how.

The deal with the City Lord of Hubei Province had already been struck. As long as the boatman kept his mouth shut, he could live out the remainder of his days in peace.

Besides, even if he did talk, everyone would dismiss him as a senile old madman.

And he won’t have to worry about money anymore. All things considered, it’s not a bad arrangement for him.

Mungyeong wondered what expression the boatman would make when he discovered the money pouch beside the brazier. He also recalled what the person who had asked him to deliver it had said.

“He came along for no good reason and nearly died. The least we can do is give him hazard pay and workers’ compensation.”

Workers’ compensation?

It was a bizarre term Mungyeong had never heard before, but then again, Jin Taekyung had always been like that.

A brat so young he was practically yellow instead of merely green—and one who never stopped surprising him.

I can’t make sense of him at all.

Mungyeong could have listed his peculiarities forever, but after everything that had happened, that impression had only grown stronger.

He recalled how Jin Taekyung had not shrunk back before that enormous, unprecedented monster. If anything, he had rampaged even more wildly. Mungyeong’s brow furrowed.

Natural courage? Perhaps. But there was something else… Yes. He looked accustomed to it. Like a battle-hardened veteran who had survived countless battles.

Had fighting Dark Heaven made Jin Taekyung accustomed to the bizarre phenomena known as supernatural powers?

Or did Jin Taekyung possess some secret no one else knew?

Mungyeong was walking along, lost in thought, when voices reached him.

“Physician Song, I heard they caught those bastards who deserve to die.”

“Good heavens. ‘Bastards who deserve to die’? Hyang, you’re a medical apprentice. How can you use such harsh language…?”

In the busy courtyard of the clinic, an older, middle-aged medical apprentice was scolding a young female medical apprentice who did not even look twenty. She pouted.

“A medical apprentice is still a person, isn’t she? Besides, those men deserve to die.”

“Ahem. Watch your words. You may be right, but I’m afraid someone might hear you.”

“You’re only saying that because of that gentleman, aren’t you? What does it matter? He’s too far away to hear us anyway.”

Contrary to the young woman’s carefree assumption, Mungyeong heard and saw everything happening around him without missing a thing.

That included their conversation.

“What do you think, Physician Song?”

“About what?”

“Oh, come on. Don’t pretend you don’t know. What else could I mean but the dark-path figures of Murim who committed those heinous crimes at Dark Heaven’s instigation?”

“What could a mere medical apprentice like me possibly say? I’m simply grateful the culprits have finally been captured. All I can do is devote myself to my duties.”

“But don’t you think it’s strange? The Sea Serpent Society’s ship sinking at Red Cliffs, the tragedy at Dongting Lake, even all the deaths involving the river bandits beyond Tianling Falls… They’re saying those men were responsible for everything.”

“Strange? In what way?”

“Well, it’s just… Hmm. You know Sister Hwang, right?”

“You mean Medical Apprentice Hwang?”

“Yes. She told me something. Um…”

The young medical apprentice trailed off and glanced around. Then she rose onto her toes and whispered.

It still sounded as loud as thunder to Mungyeong.

“She said the patient she’s looking after is a pretty famous wandering martial artist, and when he heard the story, he snorted. He said that no matter how many dark-path figures there were, they’d never be a match for the Yangtze One Saber.”

“The Yangtze One Saber?”

“That’s the name—or rather, the sobriquet—of the river bandit chief who suffered a disaster this time. Apparently, his martial arts are so powerful that there isn’t a martial artist anywhere who hasn’t heard of him.”

“…And?”

“According to what the wandering martial artist said, the authorities rounded up so many dark-path figures this time to cover something up.”

Mungyeong gave a silent, derisive laugh. The middle-aged medical apprentice’s face stiffened.

“Hyang, have you told anyone else about this?”

“No. I’d only just heard it when Physician Song called for me, so I came straight here.”

“What about Medical Apprentice Hwang? Did anyone else hear it besides you?”

“Why are you suddenly acting like this, Physician Song?”

“Answer me.”

The genial-looking medical apprentice’s face hardened as he questioned her. The young woman replied in a tiny voice.

“No one else was there. It was just the two of us. And I was the first person Sister Hwang told.”

“Phew. That’s fortunate, at least.”

“Did I do something wrong?”

“No. You and Medical Apprentice Hwang were merely careless because you’re both still young. But from now on, it would be best not to discuss this matter. Do you understand?”

“Ah. Yes.”

“Hyang.”

The middle-aged medical apprentice gently patted the cowed young woman on the head and continued in a kindly voice.

“Those dark-path mongrels who committed such heinous crimes will be executed at noon tomorrow—some by beheading, others by being torn apart by chariots. Their severed limbs will roll through the streets of Wuhan, and the ground will run red with blood.”

“What?”

“This is all thanks to the City Lord, who acted on the orders of His Majesty the Emperor, and to Great Hero Jin Taekyung of the Jin Family of Taiyuan, who personally exterminated the culprits. So don’t be swayed by false rumors. All you need to do is praise them.”

“Yes, yes.”

“No, not like that. Repeat after me. May His Majesty the Emperor live ten thousand years! A thousand years to the City Lord! A thousand years to Great Hero Jin Taekyung!”

“L-long live His Imperial Majesty the Emperor…”

“Louder!”

Is he insane?

Mungyeong stared at the middle-aged medical apprentice in disbelief and clicked his tongue inwardly.

If even a medical apprentice who could be considered educated acted like this, then the reaction of ordinary people was obvious.

They’ll praise the Son of Heaven¹ without a shred of doubt. It’s only been two days, so the report on this incident probably hasn’t even reached the imperial palace yet.

A fabricated lie. A hidden truth.

The world never changed.

Mungyeong gave a small shake of his head and continued walking.

After leaving the clinic, which stood within the vast Hubei provincial government compound, he headed straight for a large estate among the many pavilions, one reserved for honored guests.

There, he found a master and Disciple proudly displaying the depth of their affection for each other.

“Say that again. What was that? ‘Jeok Cheongang’? ‘Take a shit’?”

“Old Master, please calm down…”

“I’ll pin your limbs down and shit on your face.”

“Whoa. Is that your thing?”

“You fucking piece of—”

“Dormammu,² I’ve come to take a shit. Ah, sorry. It slipped out on instinct.”

“I swear on the ancestors of our sect, I’ll stuff shit into your mouth!”

“Waaah! Somebody save me!”

“Get over here this instant!”

Swish! Swish! Swish! Whoooosh!

“…”

As he watched the fierce chase unfold, a thought occurred to Mungyeong.

What an affectionate—and filthy—master-and-Disciple relationship.

Fortunately, Jeok Cheongang did not end up shitting in my mouth.

Of course, that didn’t mean things ended peacefully or normally.

Bam!

“Ah, wait. That hit bone…”

Boom!

“Ugh!”

Goddamn it. Isn’t using Flame Divine Palm going too far?

He had drastically reduced its power, presumably because he possessed at least a shred of human conscience. But still—how could he use Flame Divine Palm against his Disciple? No, against me, who was practically his Disciple?

My insides are getting nice and warm.

Who needed gukbap?³ One bowl of Flame Divine Palm, and I already felt full.

“Ugh…”

As I groaned and clutched my chest, Jeok Cheongang spoke in a sinister voice.

“Stop whining and get up.”

“Is it… over?”

“It’s nowhere near over. How dare you speak so casually to a master as high as the heavens…”

“Master?”

“Ahem. Not merely a master as high as the heavens, but this old man, who is even higher than the heavens. Do you think I raised you so I could be treated like this?”

“…My mother raised me, though. Why are you taking credit, Old Master?”

“You insolent brat!”

Just as Jeok Cheongang’s eyes began blazing, a lifeline descended from heaven.

“That’s enough.”

Someone had entered without making a sound. At Mungyeong’s single remark, Jeok Cheongang frowned.

“If you came in, you should have quietly watched. Why interfere?”

“It seemed excessive, so I stepped in. Is there a problem?”

Damn. He’s got so much charisma. No wonder all his targets ended up dead when he was an assassin.

I gazed at Mungyeong with emotion welling in my eyes.

“Oh, what a saint…”

“Look at this brat. He’s babbling nonsense again. I suppose he’ll need to be beaten for quite a while before he comes to his senses.”

Jeok Cheongang ominously rolled up his sleeves, but Mungyeong shook his head.

“Stop. This is excessive.”

“You’ve been getting on my nerves for a while now. Why do you keep meddling in other people’s business…?”

“No matter how I look at it, this is excessive. Shouldn’t I get a turn too?”

“Ah. Fair point.”

“…”

Goddamn it. So that’s what he meant.

The moment Jeok Cheongang graciously yielded his place to the next batter, a brilliant silver streak lashed out like a whip.

Swish. Shhk!

A chill ran down my spine, and cool air slipped through the gap in my severed clothes.

I swallowed hard as my shirt split cleanly into two halves, falling open to either side.

Crazy.

It had missed by a hair’s breadth.

I stood there with my heart pounding while Mungyeong gazed impassively at me.

“You didn’t dodge.”

“I couldn’t sense any killing intent.”

“You could still have dodged.”

“What would’ve been the point? If I dodged, I’d only get hit twice instead of once. You weren’t planning to kill me anyway, were you?”

“As expected, you’re strange. Strange enough to put me in a bad mood.”

Really? For someone who’s in a bad mood, your expression is pretty ambiguous.

Jeok Cheongang, on the other hand, looked unmistakably pissed off.

“How dare you swing a sword at my Disciple?”

“Disciple?”

At Mungyeong’s questioning repetition, Jeok Cheongang hastily corrected himself.

“How dare you swing a sword at that bastard who isn’t even fit to be called my Disciple?”

“Is that really something you can say after beating him like a dog with martial arts?”

“Whether I beat him like a dog or drive him like an ox, I’m the only one allowed to do it! And use your fists! Not a sword!”

“…”

I knew he was trying to look out for me, but somehow, that only made me feel sad.

Mungyeong narrowed his eyes as he listened to Jeok Cheongang’s utterly incoherent argument.

“I can feel my innate qi draining away just standing here. Enough. I didn’t come for this pointless exchange.”

Before Jeok Cheongang could say anything else, I hurriedly spoke up.

“Are you coming back from the clinic?”

“Yes. I went to check on the Dongting Fisherman and meet the boatman.”

“How are they?”

“The boatman has regained consciousness. There are no unusual symptoms, and he’s sharp enough to understand what he’s told. The Dongting Fisherman, on the other hand… isn’t doing well.”

I nodded gravely.

The boatman had been knocked unconscious by a Pressure-Point Strike before he was properly exposed to Fear.

The Dongting Fisherman was the exact opposite. This was only my guess, but he must have encountered the mutated Water God Dragon at Donghu Stronghold and been severely exposed to Fear.

“He must be in pretty bad shape. Though I suppose it’s only natural that he’s not in his right mind…”

“His injuries are severe.”

“What?”

“All four of his limbs were crushed, and his internal injuries are considerable. He’s a Supreme Peak master, and the City Lord gave him an elixir, so he should recover quickly. But that imugi⁴ must have gotten him good.”

“…”

“What’s wrong?”

“…Nothing. It’s nothing.”

It seemed I had forgotten to tell him.

I had truly, genuinely forgotten.

I’d had plenty of chances to mention it over the past two days, but I had forgotten anyway.

I was pretty preoccupied, to be fair.

Of course, that was because I had been tracking one person.

Honglan.

The culprit behind this entire incident.

The woman who had corrupted the imugi⁴ that had guarded the Yangtze and Dongting Lake for more than five hundred years and caused countless deaths.

And the woman I had never managed to find.

Where the hell did she run off to?

I pulled out the silver hairpin without realizing it and stared down at it, lost in thought.

Bang!

Someone burst onto the grounds, throwing open the main gate as if he meant to tear it down.

Gung Gibang must have raced here using his movement technique at full speed. He struggled to catch his breath before speaking.

“Huff. Hah… I found Honglan’s trail.”

“……!”