"You're really announcing that you're here."
Instead of Doctor Dan, the person who greeted Beom Gye-wi was Cho Ak-ryang.
Cho Ak-ryang, who had thrown a sarcastic remark at Beom Gye-wi, looked at Han Seol-hwa as she walked into the valley.
"It's been a while."
At Cho Ak-ryang's greeting, Han Seol-hwa gave a small nod.
Beom Gye-wi looked around, then fixed his gaze on Cho Ak-ryang.
"Where’s Doctor Dan?"
"He went to the village, saying he needed some medicinal herbs."
"So you sent the kid alone? What if he runs into a wild animal?"
"He’s carrying herbs that animals hate."
"What if he falls in the dark? If Doctor Dan skins his knee, will you take responsibility, Cho hyung?"
Cho Ak-ryang frowned.
"Why would that be my responsibility?"
"When I'm not around, of course it’s your responsibility. Or should we make that woman over there responsible?"
Cho Ak-ryang was dumbfounded at Beom Gye-wi’s stubborn insistence. But, after thinking for a moment, he realized it wasn’t completely unreasonable.
'Maybe I should’ve disguised myself and followed him...'
Beom Gye-wi’s fussing was starting to get on his nerves. But that thought didn’t last long.
Han Seol-hwa, who was surveying the area inside Shinmagok, suddenly sent a telepathic message.
— Why is this place such a mess?
"A mess? This is where you'll be living too."
— In a place this filthy?
With a blank expression, Han Seol-hwa walked past the two men.
— Staying here might make me sick, even if I wasn’t already.
After a moment of thought, Han Seol-hwa began cleaning.
She decided it was much better to do it herself than to entrust it to clumsy humans who might make things worse.
Watching her, Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi exchanged knowing smiles.
The plan had been a great success.
"But, what's that?"
Cho Ak-ryang asked, only then noticing a bowl Beom Gye-wi was holding.
"Don't even think about it. It's for Doctor Dan."
Beom Gye-wi held the still-steaming bowl close to himself.
* * *
"So…."
Gwak Ga kicked the corpse in front of him and asked.
"You just happened to pass by where he was hiding, heard a groan, and found him?"
Dan Ak-seon nodded with his eyes closed.
What he’d said here was merely a brief explanation of what had just happened. He had no intention of engaging in any further conversation with Gwak Ga, the man before him.
"All of that was a coincidence?"
A dry laugh appeared on Gwak Ga’s face.
"And you expect me to believe that?"
Dan Ak-seon bit his lip.
The same question, the same answer. He’d lost count of how many times this had repeated. It had already been hours of the same question and answer.
This time, Dan Ak-seon didn’t answer but glared at Gwak Ga instead.
At that moment, his head was yanked backward. Gwak Ga had grabbed Dan Ak-seon’s hair roughly and demanded,
"Kid, when an adult asks you something, you answer, got it?"
Dan Ak-seon’s expression turned cold in response to the threatening question laced with murderous intent.
“The Murim Alliance really considers itself fair and just, doesn’t it?”
Gwak Ga’s face reddened.
To intimidate the boy, he’d placed a corpse nearby and exuded killing intent. Any other child his age would be trembling and begging for mercy by now. But this boy standing before him showed no trace of fear.
That only infuriated Gwak Ga further.
Srrrng!
Gwak Ga drew his sword and held it to Dan Ak-seon’s neck.
“Kid, this is your final warning. Answer the question without resistance.”
Though a bead of blood formed on his skin where the sword touched, Dan Ak-seon showed not a hint of surprise.
“I’ve already answered everything. If you ask the same question again, I won’t respond.”
“You little—!”
Just as Gwak Ga was about to press down harder on the sword in his anger—
“Captain, it’s Lieutenant Jang Wi.”
A voice sounded from outside the door.
“A messenger bird has arrived from Jinseong Clinic.”
“Already?”
In response to Gwak Ga’s surprise, the man named Jang Wi opened the door and stepped inside.
“He says he’s coming here in person.”
“Pung Jin-seong himself?”
A look of astonishment appeared on Gwak Ga’s face. He hadn’t expected such a swift response.
As a mere squad leader in the Murim Alliance, he couldn’t compare to the fame of Jinseong Clinic. Yet the head himself was coming in person. It became clear how much Pung Jin-seong cherished this boy.
"Stop it!"
Gwak Ga's gaze turned to Dan Ak-seon.
As Dan Ak-seon, who rarely got excited, raised his voice, Gwak Ga felt a sense of victory.
"Don’t drag him into our issues! He has nothing to do with this!"
Gwak Ga, hearing those words, felt even more relaxed.
"We’ll see about that."
Dan Ak-seon glared at Gwak Ga, but Gwak Ga didn’t even blink.
"Now that I think about it, you’re no longer needed."
Gwak Ga ordered his subordinates.
"Take him out."
"From the beginning..."
Dan Ak-seon clenched his teeth and spoke.
"You were targeting Uncle Pung."
"This isn’t a matter for a kid like you. This is an adult problem."
Dan Ak-seon was dragged out of the inn by Gwak Ga’s men.
"Get lost. Unless you want Pung Jin-seong to get hurt too."
Dan Ak-seon had no choice but to turn back. Trembling with rising frustration and anger, he walked away.
* * *
"It seems something’s happened, doesn’t it?"
As the night grew darker, Beom Gye-wi’s anxiety grew as well.
Cho Ak-ryang also wore a serious expression. Dan Ak-seon had never been this late before.
"It seems like I need to go."
Even Cho Ak-ryang, who had been nagging Beom Gye-wi for worrying too much, nodded this time.
"Let’s go together. You head to the village and ask around about Doctor Dan’s whereabouts. I’ll search along the path leading to the village."
Just as the two were about to leave Shinmagok, they spotted a small figure trudging toward them from the entrance.
It was Dan Ak-seon.
“Doctor Dan!”
Beom Gye-wi’s face lit up as if nothing had happened. He ran toward Dan Ak-seon, almost flying.
Seeing Beom Gye-wi rushing toward him, Dan Ak-seon raised his voice as well.
“Uncle!”
“Huh?”
Beom Gye-wi looked surprised.
As the distance between them closed, Dan Ak-seon stretched out his arms and threw them around Beom Gye-wi’s waist in a tight hug.
“I missed you.”
For a moment, Beom Gye-wi was stunned.
He was taken aback by Dan Ak-seon’s warm greeting. But at the same time, he felt an overwhelming happiness. It was a strange feeling, as if a corner of his heart was tickling—hard to describe precisely.
“Oh, um… yeah. I missed you too.”
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Beom Gye-wi stammered his response, then reached out to pat Dan Ak-seon’s back.
But something felt off.
The arms holding him were trembling. Beom Gye-wi gazed quietly at Dan Ak-seon.
Something felt different, strange.
Come to think of it, his voice also sounded weaker than usual.
“I’m going to go wash up.”
With a forced smile, Dan Ak-seon tried to gather himself and headed toward his quarters. He turned once more, managing a weary smile.
"I'm glad you're back."
With those words, Dan Ak-seon turned away.
After Dan Ak-seon disappeared, Beom Gye-wi muttered.
"There was a smell of blood."
"There was also a wound on his neck. It must have been from a blade."
Before Cho Ak-ryang could even finish his sentence, Beom Gye-wi tried to move.
"Wait."
Cho Ak-ryang reached out and grabbed Beom Gye-wi’s shoulder, stopping him from making a move.
Beom Gye-wi growled, his face like that of a demon.
"If you're going to stop me now, I don't care if you're my senior."
"I'm not trying to stop you. I'm trying to make sure."
The two villains locked eyes.
In Cho Ak-ryang's eyes as well, a thick killing intent simmered.
* * *
So Jeok-san was in a good mood.
The tribute money collected today far exceeded his expectations.
"Haha! Drink up, drink! If not on a day like this, when can we truly get drunk?"
As soon as So Jeok-san finished speaking, his subordinates raised their glasses with him. They drank and caroused loudly for quite some time.
As the night’s revelry reached its peak.
"Here, take it! I've put in more than last month!"
So Jeok-san placed a bundle of silver coins on the table.
Clink.
The heavy clash of silver coins echoed, and his men cheered loudly.
“As expected of our great leader! You truly are bold!”
“He’s not just bold. His martial skills are unmatched in the world. You all should’ve seen how he pushed back the Xin Xiao Gang!”
“Now we just need to bring down the Heukryong Gang, right?”
“With the great leader here, isn’t that a given? He’ll unify the various factions of the martial world. All we have to do is trust and follow him.”
Praise poured in from all directions.
So Jeok-san, savoring the admiration, finally spoke to his men.
“Yes, the martial world will soon fall into our hands.”
After taking a sip of wine, he continued his speech.
“Since we defeated the Xin Xiao Gang, their distilleries and brothels are now as good as ours!”
“Yeah!”
Seeing his men cheering, So Jeok-san nodded with satisfaction.
“You’ve all worked hard. But from now on, we’ll need to be even more vigilant.”
“Because of the Heukryong Gang?”
So Jeok-san nodded at the question from one of his men.
“They were after the Xin Xiao Gang too. We’ll be crossing paths with them more frequently from now on.”
His men, now even more excited, began shouting from all around.
“In that case, let us witness our great leader’s martial prowess!”
“Yes! Show us the skills of someone who’s reached the level of Heaven Beyond Heaven!”
Feeling a bit shy, So Jeok-san rose from his seat.
“Then I’ll show you a few moves.”
So Jeok-san adopted a rather impressive combat stance.
At that moment, a sudden gust of wind swept through the room. Simultaneously, So Jeok-san’s figure soared into the air.
Crack!
It seemed as if the entire roof of the building was ripped off.
So Jeok-san's figure shot up into the air as if he were being sucked into the void.
For a moment, silence settled over the scene.
"Wow! Did you see that?"
"I didn't know the qigong* of the Daedang Sect was this powerful!" (T/N: Refers to the practice of cultivating and controlling qi—a vital life energy—to enhance martial abilities, strengthen the body, and achieve extraordinary feats.)
"The Heukryong Gang guys should've seen this!"
Drunken spectators started chattering excitedly.
* * *
When So Jeok-san came to his senses, he found himself deep within a mountain forest where even the moonlight couldn’t reach.
‘What just happened? Where am I?’
So Jeok-san glanced around, his gaze stopping at one point. He spotted a crouching figure within the darkness.
After a moment, as his eyes adjusted, he could make out the figure’s face.
“You!”
A gasp of shock escaped So Jeok-san’s mouth.
It was a one-eyed man, his face marred by severe burns. He was none other than Ga Hui-seop, the leader of the Heukryong Gang, who shared control over the dark underworld of this lawless region with So Jeok-san’s own people.
He was infamous for his ruthless nature and equally malicious heart.
But his face was a wreck. His one remaining eye was almost swollen shut, and dark, bruised marks were scattered all over his face.
He, too, seemed to recognize him, as a murderous glint began to flicker in his eyes.
“Damn it!”
So Jeok-san belatedly tried to gather his internal energy.
No.
He tried to gather it.
“What…?”
So Jeok-san couldn’t contain his shock. His energy wasn’t responding to his will.
“Attention.”
Startled, So Jeok-san looked toward the source of the voice.
“A master!”
Just facing him felt like suffocating under his intense presence! There was something indescribably dangerous about him. The bald giant with porcupine-like stubble opened his mouth.
“Find out everything that happened in the village earlier today involving a boy named Dan Ak-seon. You have one shijin.”
“Dan Ak-seon? Who’s that?”
At the question from Ga Hui-seop, the leader of the Heukryong Gang, the bald giant sneered.
Crunch.
“Ugh!”
Ga Hui-seop’s agonized scream pierced the night air.
His nose had collapsed inward, and blood was streaming from it in a steady flow.
Gulp.
So Jeok-san swallowed hard.
The whole thing had happened right in front of his eyes, yet he hadn’t seen what struck Ga Hui-seop.
“Remember. You have one shijin (two hours). Those who are late…”
The bald demon gave a chilling smile.
“Will die.”