novelraw Chapter 163 : Chapter 163
Chapter 163 : Chapter 163
Chapter 163. Fight (1)
Junior Sister Choyeon is laughing.
After watching that unbelievable sight for a moment. I turned my head and spoke to Dang Sopyeong, who had a bizarre expression.
“Your skills should now be called that of a Divine Physician.”
“What kind of dog crap are you talking about again?”
“Aren’t you treating people with just your face now? I’ve never seen such a talent in my life. No. I haven’t even heard of it.”
“…….”
The Dang fellow, who looked anxious to curse, sighed.
“Haa. Stop spouting nonsense. Still, it seems the treatment done so far has had some effect.”
Still, as expected of a physician, the guy looked at Choyeon with a relieved expression.
“Once she learns that Jade Cloud Divine Art or whatever you taught her and removes all the energy of the Unwavering Heart Divine Art, she will get much better.”
Indeed. Turning my head back, Junior Sister Choyeon had returned to her characteristic indifferent face at some point.
It seemed she wasn't completely healed yet.
Sensing the atmosphere, Junior Sister Baek Hyang and Nam Geon were clinging to Choyeon and talking to her.
“Your smiling face was really pretty. Junior Sister. Can’t you smile more?”
“R, right! S, smiling makes you f, feel good! S, smiling is good!”
“I am fine.”
The two making a fuss next to her and Junior Sister Choyeon answering with an apathetic expression.
No gap was felt between them. Rather, it felt natural.
“There seems to be no need to rush.”
“For once you say something correct. Treatment must be prudent. There is a saying that haste makes waste.”
I shook my head at the Dang fellow’s nonsense.
“That’s not it, but you don’t know Junior Sister Choyeon’s original personality, do you? Perhaps her original personality was also calm like that.”
So I wondered if that was how she could endure while protecting her sister in that hellish place.
“Hmm. That is a fairly valid conjecture.”
Towards the Dang fellow nodding as if convinced, I added.
“Since you made that calm woman laugh, your face is amazing in many ways.”
The Dang fellow’s face crumpled again.
“Hahahaha.”
Seeing laughter burst out of me unknowingly, it was indeed an amazing talent.
***
Because of the Dang fellow’s nagging, we stayed in that village for a few extra days focusing on recovery.
Thanks to that, Hwangbo Ak whined.
“I am already all healed, Physician Brother! At this rate, I feel like I’ll get sick from boredom!”
Every time that happened, the Dang fellow shook his head from side to side.
“Haa. Now it’s not just one guy but two.”
I didn't know why that guy was lumping me in and cursing.
Hwangbo Ak making noise wasn't very pleasing either, so I spoke to Hwangbo Ak.
“If you are truly bored, sit in meditation and review the past fight. Who knows? You might gain a clue to enlightenment.”
“Keung. What fun is imagining alone? It only has meaning if you actually move your body. Brother Jin!”
Saying so, Hwangbo Ak sprang up.
“Since no one will duel with me, I will do it alone!”
Hwangbo Ak wrapped his fists in fist qi and punched the air.
Like a genius who would be called one of the Seven Evils in the future, the guy gained enlightenment in an instant with tremendous talent and improved.
He did not. Instead.
“Blergh.”
After throwing a few punches, he vomited blood.
“I told you. Just sit and meditate.”
While shaking my head at the guy’s pathetic state, a strange sight caught my eye.
Junior Sister Baek Hyang was smiling awkwardly while looking at me.
Nam Geon and Dang Sopyeong were shaking their heads.
I don't know if I saw it wrong, but the corners of Junior Sister Choyeon’s mouth also twitched minutely.
It was a strange expression that looked like an awkward smile, or perhaps a sneer.
Soon, the Dang fellow opened his mouth.
“Is cursing yourself a hobby perhaps? What are you doing with your sword drawn?”
Ah.
It seemed I had drawn my sword unknowingly while watching Hwangbo Ak’s fist dance.
“I am in better condition than that guy, so this much is nothing.”
At my answer, the Dang fellow muttered.
“Haa. Identical bastards.”
Thanks to staying in the village for a few days, the comrades' conditions also improved one by one.
The Dang fellow and Junior Sister Choyeon didn't have severe injuries.
Of course, the problem with Junior Sister Choyeon’s head remained, but I expected that to get better gradually.
Since the Junior Sister was operating the Jade Cloud Divine Art every day to clear out the remaining energy of the Unwavering Heart Divine Art.
Among the remaining four, the one who recovered first was Nam Geon.
The visible injuries were the most severe, but since only the skin was damaged, recovery was fast.
Surprisingly, the ones with the most severe conditions were me, Hwangbo Ak, and Junior Sister Baek Hyang.
“Do not overexert yourself from now on.”
“I will be careful. Senior Brother.”
While warning the Junior Sister, the sight of the Dang fellow smacking his lips caught my eye.
- Shut up.
I sent him a sound transmission and focused on resting.
Only after staying there for a few more days did the damn Dang fellow’s permission drop.
“This much seems like enough rest?”
“Phew. As a physician, I want to stop you, but since it’s obvious you won’t listen anyway, I will save my breath.”
Saying everything he wanted to say and then saying he'll save his breath.
Certainly, this guy wasn't sane either.
Before leaving the village after about ten days.
Lastly, I took a clasped hands greeting towards the village.
“I have owed you much during this time. I will pray for happiness in your next lives.”
After greeting those who had already left, I moved my steps just like that.
After leaving the village, my body felt itchy.
“Since we rested well, let’s run in earnest.”
Anyway, since I focused only on rest, circulating energy to heal injuries, and meditation, my internal energy was overflowing.
To revive the muscles that seemed to have shrunk over the ten days, I ran using only the body’s strength without internal energy.
The scream my whole body's muscles let out felt truly welcome.
Because muscles grow as much as they are painful.
***
A few days of moving after leaving the village.
A journey that was peaceful if you could call it peaceful continued.
Sometimes we encountered underworld types or bandits, but every time Hwangbo Ak ran out happily.
“Euhahaha!! Let’s see your skills!”
Watching that sight, Nam Geon spat out words like this.
“B, Brother. F, for some reason, Brother Bandit looks more like an underworld type or b, bandit.”
“……You are already calling him Brother Bandit with your own mouth.”
“Ah!”
While sharing such trivial conversations. Hwangbo Ak, who wiped them out alone, would make a disappointed face.
“Tsk. There are absolutely no useful guys!”
“Brother Hwangbo. Can’t you please shut that mouth? Trouble happened last time because of that.”
“Ah! If I keep talking, do useful guys come to find me? Kuhahaha! That is an interesting story.”
The Dang fellow was needlessly scratching to make a wound.
In that somewhat peaceful atmosphere, we left Jiangxi and entered Hubei.
But Hubei was also quite a large place.
To reach the place where the Seomoon Clan was based, we had to travel for about five to seven more days and nights.
One day, we had occasion to stay in Wuhan.
The biggest city in Hubei.
Arriving at the bustling place, Junior Sister Baek Hyang and Nam Geon’s eyes sparkled.
The two led Junior Sister Choyeon and walked the city.
Junior Sister Baek Hyang even held out clothes or ornaments to Junior Sister Choyeon.
“Try matching this. Junior Sister.”
Junior Sister Choyeon refused with her characteristic indifferent expression.
“Such fancy clothes are a hindrance to assassination. Senior Sister.”
“……. Clothes are not worn for assassination. Junior Sister.”
Nam Geon bought three of every snack he saw while walking the streets and held them out to the two Junior Sisters.
“T, this is super tasty. Hya, Hyang and Cho, Choyeon try eating too.”
As expected, Junior Sister Choyeon refused.
“If the stomach is full, it is a hindrance to assassination.”
“T, there is no assassination to do. Y, you can just eat.”
“There is no reason to eat when I am not hungry.”
“Cho, Choyeon eats v, very little. W, with that, you’ll be hungry.”
“Nam Geon. If we use the amount you eat as a standard, everyone except Hwangbo Ak would be on the verge of starving to death.”
“Hehehehe. I am sorry, but I like meat. I have no interest in sweet snacks.”
While walking the marketplace sharing trivial conversations for a while.
As if she didn't know how to give up, Junior Sister Baek Hyang held out a hairpin to Junior Sister Choyeon.
It was a hairpin of modest form without any patterns.
Junior Sister Choyeon, who looked at that hairpin for a moment, sighed lightly and accepted the hairpin.
“It seems this hairpin would be good to use as a hidden weapon.”
The sight of her sighing was fascinating, but what followed was even more fascinating.
Because the corners of the mouth of Junior Sister Choyeon, putting the hairpin in her hair, went up very minutely.
“Huh? Choyeon laughed!”
Wait, the minor problem was that she returned to an expressionless face instantly as soon as Nam Geon’s shout burst out.
***
Leaving Wuhan, we took steps toward the northwest direction.
Last time when passing through Hubei, we took a boat across Dongting Lake.
But this time, we planned to use the land route.
Anyway, the Seomoon Clan was located quite far from Dongting Lake, and it was a place where the waves of Dongting Lake and the Yangtze River didn't reach.
Around noon on the second day after leaving Wuhan.
After stopping at a mountain named Mount Pyeongwan, we resolved our meal with food bought in the village we stopped at the day before.
Mount Pyeongwan. It was a strangely familiar name.
Is it familiar because I stopped by in my past life?
When I was coming up with such thoughts. The Dang fellow, who was chewing on jerky, asked.
“What do you plan to do after visiting the Seomoon Clan? Do you plan to look for those guys you mentioned last time?”
“First, I intend to ask around, but I don’t plan to chase only them.”
“What’s with you? Putting off the work of chasing trash.”
“They are guys who hide deeply. It will be hard to find them overnight. I plan to chase them little by little while cleaning up other trash.”
This was also the reason I didn't change the route.
“I plan to inform Brother Sama and the prodigies about them upon stopping at the Seomoon Clan. Who knows? The Seomoon Clan and Pyo Clan might help. Also, if feasible, I intend to inform the Beggar’s Gang about them.”
“Hmm. Come to think of it, I don’t know what to call those guys.”
As the Dang fellow said, we didn't even know their name yet.
At this, Junior Sister Baek Hyang suggested an opinion.
“You said they are people who talk about cicadas? Then how about calling them Cicada Cult?”
Religion following cicadas.
It was a funny name in many ways, but it felt lacking to instill vigilance.
“They are vicious people who go around scattering demonic arts. If we attach ‘Cult’, it would be right to call them Demonic Cult.”
“Hmm. I don’t know if they are guys, a religion, or a family, but it’s certainly a dangerous-looking name.”
At the Dang fellow’s response, a fishy laugh flowed out.
It wasn't a sneer directed at the Dang fellow.
I raised my body just like that and drew the Master’s Blade.
“Where are you bastards from?”
At some point, the comrades also raised their bodies one by one and were drawing their weapons.
Soon, the surrounding bushes shook, and guys dressed in black clothes revealed themselves one by one.
Northwest and Northeast. And South.
Looking at the big picture, the guys had us surrounded, divided into three directions.
Dozens of people per direction. The total sum looked to be at least a hundred.
But what was more bothersome than the number was the spirit the guys were emitting.
The majority looked to be at least peak masters.
Even among them, there were occasionally experts mixed in who were no less than First Killing of Sichuan Jang Ik.
Such guys weren't just one or two, but easily a hundred gathered.
To establish such power in the Central Plains and target us on top of that.
While such questions floated in my mind. A path opened among the guys who appeared from the south, and an old man revealed himself.
“Did you think you would be safe after interfering with our business all this time?”
While listening to the old man’s nonsense with one ear and examining the men in black. I discovered a face I couldn't forget.
Golden Guardian Unit Leader.
I failed to kill Hyeok Ilso because of that bastard at the Iyang Black Market.
“To think the Unwol Sect would come all the way to Hubei. I guess the Black Heaven Sect went to ruin in the meantime.”
This Hubei was the Black Heaven Sect’s territory.
Of course, if they had this much power, it wouldn't be strange to push out the Black Heaven Sect.
But a contradiction existed that they left the Black Heaven Sect alone despite possessing this much power.
Then. This time, an old man popped out from the encirclement in the northwest direction.
“Tsk tsk. Our Black Heaven Sect went to ruin? Where is this brat spouting such unlucky words?”
Only then could I roughly grasp what the situation was.
“So the rats finally joined hands to catch just us.”
The three great powers of the underworld that dominated black markets across the Central Plains.
Unwol Sect and Black Heaven Sect. And Scarlet-Yellow Association.
Those three places had combined their strength to form an encirclement.