Chapter 125
"Shouldn't you rest more? You just came back from the dead. You shouldn't overdo it."
"I'm fine, Elder."
At the crossroads of life and death, Wi-ji Chan had found a fateful opportunity.
He had lost consciousness due to severe blood loss and exhaustion of his true ki, but as if the heavens had helped, he was found by a kind-hearted old couple and his life was saved.
After being unconscious for three days and nights, Wi-ji Chan regained consciousness and was only able to recover a minimum of his strength after another three days.
It would have been an impossible dream if not for the devotion of the old couple, who, despite their poor circumstances, even paid for a house call from a doctor to take care of him.
"Young man... you should eat."
"Grandmother..."
The old woman brought warm porridge she had made and gave it to Wi-ji Chan.
He heard the story later, but the old couple had lost their son and daughter-in-law to an epidemic, and their grandson had been conscripted by the country and had met his end on the battlefield.
'They must be treating me well because they see their grandson in me...'
His heart ached.
If there was a heaven, how could it stain the later years of such a simple old couple with an indelible wound...
However.
'Do I have the right to feel pity?'
On the other hand, Wi-ji Chan remembered his identity.
'I am...'
The Vice-Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, the largest martial arts group in the martial world!
Also, a very heavy mission was entrusted to him.
'I have to go.'
Although he had not fully recovered, his martial arts were originally high, so he decided to leave now.
"Elders. I will definitely repay the kindness you have shown me. But I am a person with many stories. I think I must leave now."
Wi-ji Chan bowed politely to the old couple.
"You..."
"It would be nice if you could stay a little longer..."
Although their disappointment was evident, the old couple did not try to hold Wi-ji Chan back.
Although the two were ignorant of the martial world, the experience of their years had made them realize that Wi-ji Chan was a person who had to leave someday.
In that moment.
With the neighing of warhorses, about fifty horsemen entered this desolate village.
The population was a small village of less than a hundred, so the sound of about fifty horse hooves echoed throughout the entire village.
The old couple and Wi-ji Chan also went outside the door and stared at them, the horsemen.
Just then.
"You've prepared the taxes, right? If you don't show your sincerity today either, I'll burn down the whole village, so be aware!"
Among them, a man with a bushy beard and a dirty impression spat out in a rough voice.
At that.
Weren't the people, as if they had been waiting for their visit, going into their houses one by one and bringing out things that could be used as goods, such as rings and silver spoons?
The old couple was no exception.
The old couple had taken out a small scroll hanging on one side of the house, and Wi-ji Chan, feeling a question, asked.
"Elders. What is going on?"
At that, the old man whispered in Wi-ji Chan's ear.
"You stay out of it, and when they leave, go on your way quietly..."
"Elder!"
"They are a famous group of mounted bandits who roam this entire county. Resisting is just a meaningless death. If we just show our sincerity periodically, we will be safe, so don't worry too much."
Wi-ji Chan was so dumbfounded that he couldn't even let out a hollow laugh.
It was common to see bandits when traveling through mountains and rivers, but it was the first time he had seen such atrocious people who openly engaged in 'expeditionary plunder'.
"Elder... how about reporting it to the authorities?"
"Don't say such things. If you do that, you might get into trouble instead. The fact that the authorities and the mounted bandits are in cahoots is something that even a three-year-old baby knows."
That was right.
The fact that the world was in this state was something that everyone knew.
But for Wi-ji Chan, who had lived his whole life like a prince, the other side of the harsh reality came as a bitterness that was hard to accept.
'Ah...!'
Anger surged.
Also, he felt like he could vaguely understand why the people were being deceived by heretical religions like the White Lotus Cult.
'I was a frog in a well! The world is like this... and I blamed the ignorance of the people...'
Wi-ji Chan took a step forward.
The boiling anger in his eyes was disguised as arrogance and shot towards the leader of the mounted bandits.
And...
"If I persuade you to go back, you will surely come back and cause harm..."
A cold word without any emotional turmoil.
But the aftermath of that word was not small.
The old couple's eyes widened, and the mounted bandits twitched their eyebrows and drew their swords.
"You want to die, do you?"
"The ones who will die..."
Chaeng—
Soon, the Heavenly Demon Divine Sword was drawn from Wi-ji Chan's waist...
'That's no ordinary sword!'
'Could he be a martial artist?'
'E-Even if he's a martial artist, he can't do anything to the 50 of us alone!'
But the mounted bandits' thoughts were a delusion.
"...are you."
Papapapapapapapapa!
"...!"
"...!"
"...!"
It was surprise, admiration, and in the end, it became a chilling fear.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Sword, which had left Wi-ji Chan's hand, flew gracefully as if it were a living creature that thought for itself.
In the blink of an eye, it had mercilessly slaughtered the necks of a total of 50 mounted bandits.
"Aigoo!"
"Oh my!"
"G-Good heavens!"
In an instant, a light of fear and astonishment crossed the eyes of the villagers.
'I...'
This was the first time Wi-ji Chan had committed such a cruel massacre.
Because except for cases where he absolutely had to kill, he had always shown mercy.
However.
'I am the Vice-Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. This is who I am.'
Wi-ji Chan did not regret it.
He believed that in this dirty and disgusting reality, he had made the best choice.
'Yes... I did well... yes...'
In fact, if he had shown mercy, the mounted bandits would have surely returned and committed plunder.
In the martial world, killing and silencing witnesses was sometimes the cleanest and most rational solution.
Just then.
"Y-Young man..."
"You..."
Seeing the old couple trembling with their shoulders and soaked in fear, Wi-ji Chan's heart grew cold.
But he did not make any clumsy excuses.
'It would be better for you to forget someone like me.'
At the same time, Wi-ji Chan rummaged through the travel bags of the dead mounted bandits, took out a bundle of silver coins, bills of exchange, and all other goods, and handed them to the old couple.
"With this, I have repaid your kindness. After today, please forget me."
Then, he suddenly turned his body and took a step.
About ten steps had passed.
"Y-Young man! You... who on earth are you?"
Wi-ji Chan's lips moved.
"I... am the Vice-Leader of the Demonic Cult."
It was a low murmur that would not reach the old man's ears.
Thus...
At dusk.
The red sunset going over the western mountain ridge was imprinted in Wi-ji Chan's eyes today as an unusually deep red, like 'blood'.
***
"Kehkehkeh!"
"Hahahat!"
"Kikikik!"
What on earth was this harmony?
The teaching of the sages that there is no one who is not swayed by money (it is unknown which sage said this) seemed to be true.
Setting So-ah aside, even Jeon Woo-chi, with fire in his eyes, was frantically digging up various rare spiritual and medicinal herbs, including the Tathagata Grass.
Was that all?
The Poison King, who had acted all noble, saying he had no interest in material greed?
He burned with a passion that was not inferior to So-ah's, if not more.
"Keke! This is the Jangdancho used to detoxify the Seven-Flower Gu Poison! It's something you can only see in a foreign country."
"Wow! So-ah. This looks really expensive. How can a medicinal herb have five colors?"
"Brother! Dig it up carefully. The root is the money, the root! If the root is damaged, think of your neck flying off!"
At this moment, in So-ah's eyes, the medicinal herbs were not medicinal herbs.
They were just.
'How much is all this! I was feeling uneasy because I owed 1.5 million silver coins to the Daewon Battle Arena. If this goes well, I might be able to pay off the debt even before selling the ice spirit stones?!'
...seen as 'money', which was always new, thrilling, and the best.
After half a shichen of recovering the 'money' that was scattered everywhere, the 'ginseng digger' experience of the three people came to an end after filling about ten to sixteen baskets with medicinal herbs.
"By the way, So-ah. How about leaving that baby great ape here? It must be of a different kind from an ordinary great ape. Since it's a spiritual beast, it's not right to raise it as a pet."
The Poison King said, looking at the baby great ape that was clinging to So-ah's body and showed no sign of coming down.
"Hmm... it's still a baby. Then let's look for its parents. If we find its parents, we'll leave it."
"You seem to like animals more than you look."
"Yes. I am an animal lover."
At So-ah's slyness, Jeon Woo-chi also added.
"Elder. Don't even mention it. So-ah even raises a white tiger the size of a house at home."
"Hah! Just a crazy brat."
The Poison King snorted, as if he was dumbfounded.
***
The party searched the entire Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons as if they were looking for a needle in a haystack for over half a *shichen*.
But they could not see an adult great ape anywhere.
Instead, So-ah and Jeon Woo-chi saw a strange beast called a rhinoceros for the first time in their lives, and at that time, they really felt like the sky was turning yellow.
Moreover, because So-ah insisted on raising the 'rhinoceros' as a pet, Jeon Woo-chi had a hard time dissuading him.
In the end...
"This baby great ape is an orphan. Then I have no choice but to take care of it."
So-ah intended to take the great ape to the Central Plains.
"We have a long way to go. Besides, a great ape is different from a monkey, so it will attract attention. Won't it be troublesome? We have to feed it and put it to sleep. I wish we could just leave it."
"Brother Woo-chi. Look at these innocent eyes. You're going to leave this? I didn't see you as that kind of person... You're really heartless. Are all Goryeo people like that?"
"What?!"
So-ah seemed to have no intention of backing down.
"Hey! To be blunt, carrying the medicinal herbs is no ordinary task. But when are we going to get to the Martial Alliance with that nuisance? This is inefficient..."
"The carpet."
"Huh?"
"You have the carpet. We can load all the medicinal herbs on the carpet, and I can carry Seong-seong."
"Hoo..."
"Brother! Please..."
"Crazy... alright, you brat."
Seeing So-ah whining like a child, Jeon Woo-chi had no choice but to give up.
'So-ah really has a soft spot for animals.'
Just then.
"Kik-kiiik."
The baby great ape leaped and landed on Jeon Woo-chi's shoulder.
As if asking to be petted.
"That little one... it resembles its owner, it resembles its owner. Phew!"
The dumbfounded Jeon Woo-chi clicked his tongue.
But...
Looking at it closely, the baby great ape was cute.
In that moment.
"Brother Woo-chi! Geomdung likes you too. A person has to have affection, affection! You're so cold-hearted!"
"Geomdung? Surely that's not this great ape's name?"
"Yes. Our house's tiger is a white tiger, so Huidungi. This great ape's fur is black, so Geomdung."
"What a terrible naming sense."
"It's intuitive and good!"
Thus, the great ape's name was decided 'at will' without even a speck of consideration.
***
As soon as they left the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons, So-ah and Jeon Woo-chi finished their preparations to return and bid farewell to the Poison King.
They wanted to stay for a day and catch up, but the matter was urgent, so they had no time.
"Elder. I'll drop by once around next year, so please stay well!"
"Why are you coming? Don't come, you brat."
"You always say things you don't mean. You're dying of disappointment!"
"Kikil, you crazy fellow."
"If you're bored, come visit the Central Plains."
"Alright. Go on now. You've got the antidote for your precious Orthodox Path seniors."
"Yes, yes! Thank you for everything. And this..."
While exchanging farewells, So-ah suddenly handed a book to the Poison King.
It was the reward he had obtained after overcoming the trial of the second room, the nameless 'Encyclopedia of Ten Thousand Poisons'.
"Why are you giving this to me?"
"A good item shines when it is possessed by someone who knows its value."
"A scholarly work of this level could be sold for a thousand gold pieces."
"I do like money, but I am a person who lives and dies by my conscience. If it weren't for you, Elder, it would have taken me ages just to find the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons. Thanks to you, I obtained a fateful opportunity and achieved a peerless martial art, so please accept it as a gift."
"Hah... you brat. Ahem!"
The Poison King let out a dry cough and accepted the book with an awkward expression.
'That brat... he's a surprisingly nice fellow. Keke. Great Hero Moyong. Now I see why you chose such a mangy colt as your disciple!'
Whether he knew the Poison King's inner thoughts or not, So-ah smiled brightly and bowed his head respectfully.
"Now! Brother Woo-chi, Geomdung! Let's go!"
"To the Central Plains!"
"Kik-kik!"
Soon, Jeon Woo-chi's carpet, loaded with a whopping twelve baskets full of spiritual herbs, soared into the sky.
(End of Chapter)