Chapter 71 : Divine Physician? Divine Loyalty! (5)
Chapter 71: Divine Physician? Divine Loyalty! (5)
As the name suggested, Lake City had been built around a lake.
The city had reached the point where there was no longer any spare land left. Even so, the enormous lake stubbornly occupied the very center, with no intention of giving way.
The city government crushed public opinion calling for the lake to be filled in. It seemed they wanted to preserve the city's identity, at least in appearance.
Because of that, the residents no longer regarded the city's lake as a lake. They often compared it to a crucible filled with dark blue lava. Considering all the city's wastewater flowed into it, the comparison was rather fitting.
Lake City truly lived up to its name. It embraced everything regardless of race, occupation, or age. It also relentlessly stimulated humanity's desire to rise.
Higher.
Higher still.
As though proclaiming that anyone could climb upward, the city's skyscrapers cast their lights skyward day after day. Even knowing it was a city that devoured souls, people continued to flock there for that very reason.
But where there was that much light, the shadows inevitably grew just as long. A large population meant a correspondingly large impoverished class.
Wasn't this the city that best represented the gap between rich and poor? Ten percent were wealthy, thirty percent belonged to the middle class, and the remaining sixty percent lived in poverty.
Like a paradise for beggars, they were evenly spread throughout the city. The Upper District was no exception. It, too, was a place where people lived. The only difference from the Lower District was population density.
There was a reason people called the city a crucible for beggars. Still, it would have been wrong to dismiss all of them as failures. Quite a few had chosen to carry their begging bowls of their own free will.
Even so, the beggar village in the Upper District truly was different. They leisurely sipped instant coffee that cost five hundred won per stick, and whenever they had spare time, they brought out a Go board. They were beggars who appreciated the finer things in life.
“Ohhh! They're starting!”
“I was getting bored anyway. Perfect timing.”
“So the wager today is ten thousand won? Mr. Kim, what are you going to do if your household goes bankrupt like that?”
As soon as two men began their Go match, the beggars gathered around. Dozens of heads stretched forward, casting shadows that covered nearly half the board.
“Hey now, quiet down, will ya? And what household does a beggar even have to protect? That's a rotten joke.”
“Kekeke.”
The scene strongly resembled Tapgol Park. Unlike Earth, however, the people varied in both skin color and age. Everything was so mixed together that distinguishing races was meaningless.
“Ahem, Mr. Kim. If you place it there...”
“Oh nooo— It's over, it's over...”
“You never improve. Never.”
The sounds of clicking tongues and unsolicited advice relentlessly poked at the backs of the two players' heads.
Tap- Tap-
The players merely frowned slightly. Quietly grinding their teeth, they focused solely on the game.
That was the simple joy of the Upper District beggars, and there was an unspoken agreement that everyone would eventually offer commentary.
Hands quietly moved across the board. The surrounding commotion gradually died down, and the spectators became completely absorbed in the match.
Step, step.
Amid the constant clicking of stones against wood, another set of footsteps suddenly joined in. The players, immersed in concentration, failed to notice, but the spectators all turned toward the source.
“...You.”
Their pupils sharpened simultaneously.
A middle-aged man was approaching.
A man whose atmosphere was completely out of place within the settlement.
It wasn't a matter of race.
His half-white hair clearly marked him as middle-aged, yet his face was free of wrinkles, making him appear to be in his early forties. His bizarre fashion sense—wearing a pitch-black Jangsam Robe like a cloak—made estimating his age even more difficult.
Gulp.
Not a single amateur present failed to recognize him.
Every place the man stepped became waterlogged. The concrete bubbled before melting away.
“Elder, are you there?”
The man spoke.
The beggars who had been laughing only moments ago instantly turned serious. Lowering their hands to their waists, they revealed the knots each carried. Some had six knots, while others had four.
The two men playing Go also shot to their feet. Their knees overturned the board, scattering black and white stones together.
Despite such blatant hostility, the middle-aged man calmly continued forward. Far from shrinking back, his mere presence squeezed the breath from dozens of Beggars' Sect elders.
The air grew heavy with killing intent.
Then—
“It's been a long time.”
The zipper of a shabby tent was pulled open.
An old man stepped out.
As he emerged, a whirlwind swept through the area, blowing away the poisonous mist that had blanketed the ground.
“It has indeed been a long time, Elder.”
The middle-aged man respectfully cupped his fists in greeting, while the old man merely stroked his graying beard.
“Indeed it has. How long has it been?”
“Ten years since ‘that day.’”
“Heh heh. Time truly shows no mercy. Has it already been that long?”
The old man chuckled before plopping himself down before the Go board.
Then he scolded the beggars who remained tense around them.
“What are you lot doing?! We've got a guest, so why aren't you making two cups of coffee?! He's an honored guest, so don't be stingy with the creamer—pour plenty in!”
“Yes, yes!”
With a single booming shout, he silenced the commotion before casually shifting his gaze toward the middle-aged man.
“Let's play a game of Go.”
“It won't be easy. My skill has improved considerably since then.”
The middle-aged man replied as he sat opposite him.
At his provocation, the old man grinned, revealing yellowed teeth.
“I was just thinking things had gotten boring since I had no worthy opponent. Let's have some fun.”
The beggars hurriedly gathered the scattered stones and placed them within reach of the two players.
The old man naturally took White.
The middle-aged man became Black.
The old man placed his hand inside the bowl and rattled the stones for quite some time.
Then he selected one and confidently struck the wooden board.
“......”
The middle-aged man—Black—hesitated for an unusually long time over his very first move.
It did not seem he was contemplating only the game itself.
Rather, he appeared to be reading the true intentions hidden behind White's wrinkled fingers.
Everyone present held their breath as they watched the match unfold.
The paper cups in their hands became crumpled with sweat.
Tak.
After a lengthy period of deliberation, Black finally placed his stone.
As the old man prepared his response, the middle-aged man spoke.
“I heard that the Beggars' Sect has been suffering internal turmoil these past few days. Hearing the news troubled me greatly, Elder. As a fellow person of the Central Plains.”
“Spring's lingering chill hadn't even left before summer suddenly arrived, didn't it? Think of it as catching a cold. Besides, the air around here isn't exactly healthy. I always figured we'd come down with something eventually. Still, we've got quite a few capable people within the sect. One Branch Master has joined forces with an Order to root out the insurgent forces. Judging by the speed of their progress, this little cold should be gone by the end of the week.”
“That is fortunate to hear, Elder.”
“But—”
Tak.
White gently pressed down his stone before releasing it.
“We'll shake it off after a few days, but your poison doesn't seem willing to leave. I never imagined you'd carry this illness around for ten years.”
Black twitched slightly before calmly responding.
“...This isn't an ordinary illness. It's not a cold—it's cancer. Terminal cancer that has already spread throughout my entire body, beyond any hope of cutting it out.”
“I've lived as long as a turtle and watched countless people leave this world. So I understand your heart. How could anyone simply move on after having their family murdered by another's hand? Especially not the Patriarch of the Sichuan Tang Clan, where blood relatives are treasured above all else.”
“......”
“This is taking too long. Let's speed things up.”
“Very well.”
Tak.
“As you already know, the monkey bastard who murdered my son and daughter-in-law will soon be driven out of MegaCorp.”
“Heh. Running wild without fearing Buddha, is he? That drunkard is a truly vicious bastard. Still, MegaCorp has been playing the role of his golden headband all this time. I suppose that's coming to an end.”
“Conversely, that means the iron fence protecting him will disappear. How many enemies does he have?”
“Well, aside from himself, the other nine all hate that monkey. He's an unruly brat who charges ahead like a naked thunderbolt.”
“That bastard...”
Tak.
“...I must be the one to kill him.”
“That almost sounded like a threat. As though you're saying if I interfere, you won't let it slide.”
“I'm asking you.”
“From the Central Plains all the way to this city, you've obtained everything a man could want. What could someone like you possibly ask of a mere beggar?”
Tak.
“I know it's a childish question at my age, Elder, but in your opinion... between me and the monkey, who is stronger?”
“Other than the Three Calamities, the remaining seven are all about the same. You, me, the monkey... On that day, whoever heaven chooses will survive.”
Black nodded at White's answer.
“The monkey and I are especially incompatible opponents. There's a high chance we'll kill each other... No, that's exactly what will happen.”
“Then don't fight him.”
“Impossible.”
This time, he deliberately shook his head.
“I am the Patriarch of the Tang Clan. I am cursed to live bound by debts of gratitude and grudges. I have waited patiently for the perfect opportunity to repay what I owe. And now, as though heaven itself has helped me, an opportunity I thought would never come has finally arrived.”
“So what is it you expect from an old man who's simply waiting to die? Speak. Surely the Tang Patriarch didn't come all this way expecting me to help you kill the monkey... Such behavior would throw the code of the martial world into the dirt.”
Creak—
The wood groaned as White unleashed his aura.
The crushing pressure split the Go board with cracks, making the stones upon it tremble.
“Of course not.”
Tak.
“Many people think the Tang Clan belongs to the Unorthodox Path, but we're still, in the end, one of those so-called Orthodox factions. If I intended to make such a disgraceful request, I wouldn't have come to you in the first place. If I die... and the monkey survives... then I ask that you step in.”
“If you die, then you die. What's this nonsense about acting after you're dead?”
“If I die, my clansmen will chase the monkey to repay our blood debt. But the ending is obvious, isn't it?”
Tak.
“They'll die.”
“You also owe that man a debt, don't you?”
“I forgot about that long ago. Besides, if you're making that kind of request, then not me, but Horse—Muyachi—would be the appropriate person.”
“Muyachi now belongs to the Daeseong Group. He is no longer unaffiliated. It would be impossible to hire him.”
Black refused to yield even an inch.
“So you're appealing to sentiment?”
Tak.
“If I can make use of sentiment, then I will.”
“You've truly become a citizen of this city. The scent of mala has disappeared from you.”
“If you accept, the Tang Clan will compensate you accordingly.”
“Must you hear my answer immediately?”
Tak.
“This matter is urgent. That man has many enemies. The moment he leaves Siesta, the other Ten Wings will all draw their blades. I ask you only to act through a proxy, Elder, but they would merely be stealing the Tang Clan's rightful revenge. That alone, I wish to prevent.”
“In the end, you're still a man of the Tang Clan. You try to sever the chain of debts and grudges, yet remain shackled by them all the same. As you said... it's a curse.”
Tak.
“Will you grant my request?”
Tak.
“My answer...”
Tak.
“...is no.”
Silence fell.
The elders of the Beggars' Sect all began gasping for breath.
Only then did they realize the invisible restraint binding their bodies had vanished.
Meanwhile, the gazes of the two members of the Seven Existences continued to clash violently.
“My cultivation is still lacking.”
The middle-aged Poison Sovereign sighed and brushed back his hair.
The elderly Beggar King smiled, pulling at his cheek.
“You've done remarkably well.”
“Thank you. Then I'll take my leave.”
As the Poison Sovereign turned to depart, his expression was complicated.
Rage and composure coexisted within his eyes.
“The next time we meet...”
It happened in that instant.
KWAAARRRRRNG!
A thunderous explosion shattered the clear sky.
As though they had all agreed beforehand, everyone turned toward the lake.
One point on the lake's surface began spiraling inward.
Moments later, a massive waterspout erupted from the center of the vortex.
Higher than even the beams of light cast by the skyscrapers.
KWAANG! KWARURUNG!
He had seen a similar phenomenon once before.
Back in the Central Plains, when the Cat of the Three Calamities had reached the Realm of Ascension, heaven and earth had shaken.
There was a reason martial world practitioners compared enlightenment and breakthroughs to lightning.
Yet the same phenomenon had occurred only a few weeks ago.
Back then, they had simply thought it was an unusual natural occurrence.
But for it to happen twice...
That was no ordinary omen.
In terms of scale, it rivaled—or perhaps even surpassed—that of the Heavenly Demon.
“It looks as though an Imugi is ascending to heaven.”
Someone muttered absentmindedly.
Those words lodged themselves in the Beggar King's ears.
Just a few days earlier, Elder Seopunggae, who possessed the Sixth Knot, had earnestly asked him to meet someone.
It had been an exceptionally hectic period.
He had postponed giving an answer.
But there was one thing he remembered.
Elder Seopunggae had referred to that person as an Imugi.
Could it truly be nothing more than coincidence?
Surely.
It had to be.
And yet...
For some reason, the Beggar King felt his interest begin to stir.