The Mad Dog Inspector of the Martial Alliance

A pleasant week of closed-door training with the number one under heaven.

For a martial artist, it was something that would make their heart pound with excitement just by hearing it, but Jang So-gil, who had actually been there, did not have a very good expression. His appearance was not good, and his mood was not good either. What returned to Yang Gwan, who had said he was envious, was Jang So-gil's cold and icy gaze.

"Envious? Envious?"

"To be honest, I am envious. But why is your body in that state?"

All ten of Jang So-gil's fingernails were broken, and the same went for his toenails. There was not a single healthy spot, and his whole body was covered in scratches. If you were to scrape together the scabs on his wounds, it would be enough to fill a bowl. It was not the appearance of a human. The skin on the visible parts was all bruised, and he had lost so much weight that only his bones remained. At this rate, the beggars of the Beggars' Sect he had seen a while ago looked more human.

"What kind of training did you do to make a person's body like this? It seems you were tortured, not trained."

"Yes. I was tortured. Perhaps because he is the number one under heaven, he is really good at torture."

Recalling that time, he felt a chill. Jang So-gil shivered and then frowned.

"You can't even imagine what I went through."

"As a martial artist, I'm curious. What kind of training was it?"

"When I open my eyes, I train my body until I faint. I completely exhaust my stamina by running, swimming, and lifting and putting down heavy things."

"That's something everyone does. It's a very proper training."

"The problem is what comes next."

"Next? Why is there a next when you've fainted?"

"After sticking hundreds of needles all over my body, the Alliance Lord controls my body."

He controls your body? Yang Gwan was startled and jumped to his feet.

"Is it sorcery?!"

"I don't know the standard for sorcery, but the Alliance Lord said it was an application of the Void Object Grasping. It's about manipulating a person who has exhausted all their internal energy through needles with injected true qi..."

"If you put it that way, it doesn't seem like sorcery. Well, there's no way the Alliance Lord would use sorcery."

"Anyway, he manipulates my body like that and forcibly engraves martial arts into me. At that time, it's useless to faint. You are forcibly woken up, and thanks to the long needle stuck in your head, your mind becomes crystal clear. So, fuck. I've learned a lot. I ran for a whole week, a whole week!"

"I can see that."

Yang Gwan was surprised twice when he first saw Jang So-gil. First, he was surprised by his beggar-like appearance, and then he was surprised by Jang So-gil's changed movements.

A martial artist's way of walking is different from the beginning. The footwork engraved on the body over a lifetime disperses the center of gravity so that one can respond to any sudden situation at any time, and prepares to be able to react immediately in any direction.

That's why a martial artist can easily recognize another martial artist and can tell their level by their way of walking and the refinement of their movements.

"I thought someone else was coming. Your steps were so surprisingly organized."

"Is it that noticeable?"

"Yes. There is a huge difference."

"What kind?"

"The biggest change is probably the sound."

He walks with a thud, but there is no sound of footsteps. It is because he touches the ground with his Yongquan point, not his heel. The Yongquan point is the most important of the pressure points on the sole of the foot. The qi circulation done when training internal energy starts from the Baihui point located on the top of the head, circulates throughout the body once, and then returns to the Baihui point to complete one heavenly cycle. The Yongquan point is located exactly in the middle of that. In other words, it is the farthest from the Baihui point. The word 'far' also meant that it was the most difficult to train.

But now, Jang So-gil's use of the Yongquan point was so natural. As if he had become a first-rate master, his qi and blood were stable, and he gathered the qi from the Yongquan point as lightly as a feather and as refreshingly as if he were flying. So there was no sound of footsteps, and he did not get tired even when he walked. If he were to run, he would be able to run several times faster than before.

"The training of the Yongquan point is quite difficult. It is because it is the farthest from the Baihui point, which governs thought, so the consciousness does not reach it. But even if it is difficult, it must be done, because lightness skill cannot be performed without the training of the Yongquan point. You couldn't perform lightness skill no matter how hard you tried, could you, Guild Master So? That's all because you didn't know how to handle the Yongquan point."

"So now?"

"If you are as stable as you are now, it would be stranger if you couldn't perform lightness skill. Have you mastered the Cloud Dragon Eight Forms?"

Jang So-gil grinned. His Cloud Dragon Eight Forms was now at the eighth stage out of twelve, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he had mastered it. Seeing his smile, Yang Gwan bowed his head.

"Congratulations on your great achievement."

* * *

After eating a delicious meal to his heart's content, taking a cool bath, and putting on new, starched clothes, Jang So-gil met a physician when the sun was about to set.

He was a middle-aged man named Go Danyeong, a physician from a large pharmacy well-known in Luoyang. His skills were so good that his fame was widespread, and there were many who waited in line for his visit. That meant he was not someone who could be easily invited by anyone. Originally, it would have been impossible for someone without connections to call Go Danyeong to treat their wounds.

"The Alliance Lord sent me."

"What a grateful thing."

Gu Munryong had sent him personally. Was he giving him medicine after giving him a disease?

Although Jang So-gil responded bluntly, Go Danyeong was indeed skilled. He finished his diagnosis at once, clicked his tongue for a moment, and then applied a plaster all over Jang So-gil's body. He then applied crushed herbs and fixed them to his hands and feet. With just that, more than half of the pain disappeared, and Jang So-gil let out a cry of admiration.

"Your skills are very good."

"If I apply acupuncture and moxibustion, the rest of the pain will also disappear."

"I'll ask you when my children are sick too."

"You've already become my customer, so from now on, it won't be a difficult task as long as the remuneration is appropriate. But let's talk about future customers later. For now, it's about your body."

Go Danyeong flicked his thin, cunning beard and asked.

"Were you dragged to the Eastern Depot? Why is your body like this?"

"It's similar. I was dragged to the Alliance Lord and tortured."

"You wouldn't have done something to deserve being dragged away. Did you perhaps receive a reward?"

"To me, it was torture, but to others, they said it was a reward."

"As expected."

"But you figured it out well."

"I've seen this kind of wound once before."

Come to think of it, he had said it was the second time he had used the Thunder Essence Blood Altering Great Art.

Jang So-gil asked back with an interested eye.

"What kind of person was it?"

"He's right in front of you."

"You?"

Go Danyeong smiled, taking out the moxa.

"The Alliance Lord's daughter once had a severe cold. So I was called, and I did my best to cure her illness. Then the Alliance Lord said this. 'What is your wish?'"

"I think I'm getting a feel for it."

"When you work as a physician, especially near the Martial Alliance, you often get into rough situations. The security is stable now, but in the past, the minions of the Demonic Cult would pop out at any moment. The Unorthodox Alliance would also pester you from time to time, so there were many who died a violent death while working as a physician. So isn't it the law of heaven to think, 'I want to become stronger myself'? I told the Alliance Lord that I wanted to become stronger."

"Then he must have stuck needles in you right away."

"Do you know about 'cutting hair and washing marrow'?"

"To cut the hair and clean the marrow. It's when a master of martial arts cleanses the small and large meridians with their internal energy to make it easier to circulate true qi, isn't it?"

"The Thunder Essence Blood Altering Great Art that the Alliance Lord performed is a part of that 'cutting hair and washing marrow'. Thanks to that, I was half-dead for about half a year. After that, as you can see."

As Go Danyeong grabbed a walnut, the walnut cracked with a "thwack" sound.

"I've become stronger. With this, I can protect myself."

"I see, that was an interesting story."

"If it was interesting, then I'm glad."

"Then let's get to the main point. Do you happen to sell information too?"

There were two main types of informants in the martial world.

Beggars and courtesans, who could easily obtain information because they were treated as less than human.

And people like physicians, who were welcomed everywhere.

No one dislikes a physician. It is because there is no one who does not get sick. That's why a skilled physician can enter anywhere, and the more skilled a physician is called, the higher the status of the patient. If it was Go Danyeong, who had a high reputation in Luoyang, he must have worn out the doorsteps of the high officials and elders of Luoyang. Just as he had treated the Alliance Lord's daughter, he must have treated high-ranking people or their acquaintances.

An information dealer who handled high-class information that beggars and courtesans could not obtain. Go Danyeong was such an existence.

He paused and said.

"I do sell, but I'm very picky about my customers."

"How about a fellow disciple who has served the same master?"

Although he had not officially become a disciple and received a name, both Jang So-gil and Go Danyeong had received the Thunder Essence Blood Altering Great Art and were those whom the Alliance Lord had taught martial arts. If you insisted they were disciples, you could say they were disciples.

Go Danyeong grinned.

"Of course, they are trustworthy."

"Do you have information about the Diancang Sect?"

"Diancang, Diancang, coincidentally, I have an appointment scheduled for tomorrow..."

"Coincidentally, ha, hahaha."

What could be a coincidence? It must be planned. The Alliance Lord must have personally attached him to So, knowing that the Diancang Sect had made a medical appointment with Go Danyeong. It was a political act that contained many meanings.

The Martial Alliance Lord, Gu Munryong, was the adopted son of Guyang Su of the Ten Thousand Li Solo Journey's older brother, Gu Jangryong. He had taken in the orphaned Gu Munryong, raised him, and had accepted him as his son. Because of that relationship, the Diancang Sect had fully supported Gu Munryong and had not spared their support for the Martial Alliance. Since it was a relationship that had received full support, Gu Munryong also could not treat the Diancang Sect poorly.

Even if Guyang Su of the Ten Thousand Li Solo Journey did something wrong, embezzled, or acted rudely, he would give him a pass. Politics is like that. Affiliation and grudges remain for a long time and become shackles for the future. There is no human who would welcome shackles. The same was true for Gu Munryong.

'It seems he's getting tired of it.'

The fact that Gu Munryong had introduced Go Danyeong.

It was a sign of approval to strike the Diancang Sect.

Go Danyeong patted Jang So-gil, who was giving a triumphant smile, and shook his head.

"In conclusion, you must rest for at least a month."

"A month!? A month, that's too late. I have so many things to do..."

"If you move before a month is up and something goes wrong, you will regret it for the rest of your life. You'll say, 'If I had listened to Physician Go back then, my bones would have healed well and I wouldn't have a scar. If I had listened well, I wouldn't have lost hearing in one ear. If I had listened well, I wouldn't be walking with a limp. My fingernails and toenails wouldn't have stopped growing.'"

"..."

"If you just rest properly for a month, your shoulders won't hurt even when it rains, you won't hear a sound from your knees every time, and you won't feel like someone is poking your back with a needle. You won't have to scream while peeing blood every three days. If you insist on living like that, it's a very sad thing for a physician."

"Is my body in that bad of a condition?"

"Didn't I say that I was half-dead for half a year after receiving the Thunder Essence Blood Altering Great Art? You are young, so your small and large meridians and internal organs are clean, so your condition is good. The Alliance Lord must have gotten the hang of it after doing it once, and your body condition is not bad because you often eat spiritual medicines. In fact, a month is the minimum, and you should probably rest for another two months. But you want to be active right away? Go ahead and try it once. I have a good undertaker I know, so I'll contact him."

"...I will definitely rest for a month."

"That is a wise decision."

A physician is a human, but in front of a sick person, they are a god. Jang So-gil realized that truth only after he got sick.

* * *

As time passed, many things were changing.

The elder of the Hengshan Sect, Seok Pacheon, had taken responsibility and had stepped down. According to Go Danyeong, his true qi was boiling and his anger had risen to the top of his head, twisting his qi and blood, and he had become half-crippled. So in reality, it was not a resignation but a retirement, and it was a story that he had lost his energy, had become old, and had become a patient lying in a sickbed.

After Seok Pacheon stepped down like that, the Hengshan Sect had entered a period of constitutional improvement under Mo Qingyang and Mo Xihan. Many disciples had volunteered to enter the escort agency and look for jobs, and the elders of the Hengshan Sect had also volunteered to step down and had offered their gold, silver, and treasures. After disposing of all their wealth and the disciples selling their labor, they were able to pay off their debts. The Hengshan Sect had lost all its assets like that.

But there was also something they had protected.

Pride. The pride of a famous Orthodox sect that was one of the pillars of the Nine Sects One Alliance remained. That's why the disciples of the Hengshan Sect still loved the Hengshan Sect and kept the Hengshan Sect in their hearts. It was because Mo Qingyang and Mo Xihan had honorably fulfilled their debts as an Orthodox faction.

In contrast to the Hengshan Sect, which had maintained its spirit as an Orthodox faction even after being completely ruined like this, the Diancang Sect had made the worst decision.

"Money? I can't give it. No, I won't give it!"

Those were the words of the sect leader of the Diancang Sect, Gu Hakmyeong.

These words shook the entire business world.