Chapter 110: Chapter 110
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Taoist Wang led Jojo to a shallow valley.
Passing through the valley, an old wooden shack built beneath a cliff appeared. It seemed to be a place built long ago by hunters to stay temporary nights, but judging by the cobwebs and dust covering the place, it had been abandoned for years.
Reaching that place, Jojo came to a halt. The horse carefully lowered his body to let the wounded Jang Geon dismount easily. Jang Geon dismounted smoothly, then helped Dan Sang-woon, who was still unconscious and trembling, off the horse and leaned him against a rock beside the shack.
Taoist Wang also collapsed beside them as if all his strength had drained out. Gasping heavily, he pulled out a small porcelain bottle from his bosom and poured several pills into his mouth, swallowing them raw.
Jang Geon sat across from him, leaning against a rock and inspecting his wounds. The spear tip embedded in his left shoulder had passed cleanly through the muscle, but fortunately it had missed major bones or blood vessels. With a grunt, Jang Geon pulled out the spear tip himself and applied wound powder from his pocket to stop the bleeding. The flank wound was wide but shallow, so applying wound powder and wrapping it tight with cloth was sufficient.
Watching Jang Geon handle severe injuries without so much as a groan, Taoist Wang wore a complex expression. Jang Geon, finishing his dressing, looked up at him and spoke:
“Now then, will you explain what kind of bullshit this whole situation is?”
Taoist Wang hesitated. His face showed he didn’t know whether he should tell Jang Geon, or how far he should speak if he did. It seemed he couldn’t even think to hide his expression from Jang Geon, perhaps because his unrevealed internal injuries were truly severe.
Jang Geon waited silently without rushing, and ultimately Taoist Wang, having organized his thoughts, was about to speak slowly. However, someone interjected before him.
“I am also curious about that. What on earth is happening? Why is Senior Brother targeting Master?”
The one appearing staggeringly at the shack door was Dan Sang-woon. Leaning against the threshold while trembling, he was looking at Taoist Wang with eyes flushed red. Seeing him, Taoist Wang tightly shut both eyes, wearing a miserable expression.
“Answer me, Master. Didn’t Senior Brother leave that day seven years ago? I thought Master knew Senior Brother was leaving and let him go. Because if not for that, I thought there would be no reason not to look for Senior Brother after that··· But the Senior Brother I met today is···”
“Your senior brother was expelled. I drove a sword into his dantian and pushed him off a cliff.”
Closing both eyes, Taoist Wang cut Dan Sang-woon’s words off like that. And before he could ask further, he continued:
“Well over thirty years ago, I was Vice-General Woo Il under General Yeon Gwang-sa of the Han Zhenbei Army. I was a staff member and key strike squad member under General Yeon Gwang-sa of the Zhenbei Army. Mainly dealing with northern barbarians, and occasionally tracking and annihilating Central Plains martial artists displaying rebellious movements.”
Dan Sang-woon, who was about to yell out at the words that he expelled his senior brother and pushed him off a cliff, shut his mouth tight at the past suddenly laid out by his master. He wore an expression of utter bewilderment. However, Taoist Wang still kept both eyes closed as if not even curious about that reaction.
“···I was not from an ancient noble family or a wealthy house. I merely had decent natural talent, so I entered a military school to build connections, learned martial arts, and became Imperial Army. Even after that, I somehow rose to the status of General, albeit the lowest. However, reaching fifty years of age and a body gradually rusting away told me there would be nothing beyond that. I would either die failing to overcome a mistake during a mission, or relinquish my position and join the Imperial Capital Reserve. Not wanting to die, I naturally thought I would be incorporated into the Imperial Capital Reserve···”
Having spoken up to that point, Taoist Wang opened both eyes and leaned his body against the shack wall with a somewhat deflated posture. The old wooden wall made a creaking sound under that weight.
“···Then one day, during a mission as usual executing rebellious traitors, I obtained a martial arts manual in a certain valley. Inside that book called Primordial Manual were contained the Primordial Qi Cultivation Art, Mind Fasting Sword, and Sitting in Oblivion Fist that you learned. At first, I thought it was martial arts of ancient martial artists who lived tucked away in the mountains learning among themselves. Insects who were crushed by the Imperial Army’s great martial arts and couldn’t even leave proper descendants···”
Taoist Wang’s eyes looked up at the sky. The clear sky entering afternoon looked hazy grey rather than blue.
“···However, before I knew it, I was bewitched by the martial arts of the Primordial Manual and practicing them. It—the Primordial Manual—shook the martial arts I had practiced and my world. Unlike the Imperial Army that pursued only faster and stronger mobs, the Primordial Manual was a scripture that made me think once more about how I should live, what kind of person I should become, and for what purpose I should practice martial arts. Yes, it was the product of agony from ancient sages a thousand years ago pondering how humans could live more humanely and better even in a chaotic world.”
The old man appeared completely immersed in his past. Sitting across from him, Jang Geon was stroking his chin with interest despite his smarting shoulder and flank, and Dan Sang-woon, now able to stand straight, listened to the story with lips tightly pressed in a straight line.
The old man’s story continued:
“Only then did I want to escape the Imperial Army. Before growing older and becoming a complete old man, before the day came when I could no longer cross the city walls of Chang’an, I wanted to throw off the yoke of the Imperial Army and study the Primordial Manual. But a man who received the status of General walking away somewhere just like that was something that could not happen under the Imperial Army’s discipline. So I faked my death.”
“···Faked your death?”
At Dan Sang-woon’s words listening to the story, Taoist Wang looking up at the sky gave a small nod.
“Preparing the situation over several years, I displayed gradually declining skill during that time. That my status was the lowest among Generals also played a part. Left behind alone during a mission, I could not overcome the barbarians’ battle of attrition. It probably remained as merely a short single line in the Imperial Army records: Vice-General Woo Il, died during mission. At any rate, Imperial Army Woo Il died like that. Disguising myself as a Taoist, I boarded a ship and fled to this place, the New Continent. Afterward, taking you and your senior brother starving to death in the back alleys of New Sichuan as disciples, I arrived here.”
At Taoist Wang’s last words, Dan Sang-woon wore a gloomy expression as if suddenly recalling those old days. It seemed he had lost his parents back then. However, Jang Geon, who had a completely different past, did not indulge in such sentimentality.
“An entertaining past. A story that makes one think there might be more people who escaped the Imperial Army and fled like you in this New Continent. But what I asked wasn’t about such a distant past, was it?”
“···Right. Cho Sang-ryong, why did that fellow target me and his junior brother, right? Simple. As I just said, because I expelled him.”
At those words, Dan Sang-woon snapped back and asked:
“Why? Why did you expel Senior Brother? Senior Brother merely wanted to go to the city with dreams of rising in the world!”
“I could not permit it. Unlike you who learned only the original Primordial Manual, that fellow learned what was mixed with my martial arts—meaning Imperial Army martial arts. Though he might earn fame at first, eventually it would become known that Imperial Army martial arts had leaked, and pursuit would come. Then not only I, but you, your wife, your children, and even all the people of this village would have had their heads chopped off. Whether one practiced martial arts or not wouldn’t have mattered. They would have simply killed everyone.”
“Did that become a reason to kill Senior Brother? You could have simply explained the circumstances and stopped his departure!”
“He drew his sword against me!”
Taoist Wang, who had been bringing up stories quietly until now, suddenly roared like that.
“I cherished that fellow as much as I did you! But what could I expect from a rascal drunk on his own martial arts who wouldn’t listen to his master’s words and recklessly unleashed killing moves? Rather, do you know what my immediate concern is? Whether that fellow who joined the Martial Alliance exposed the martial arts he learned from me! If he did! And if that information reached the Emperor’s dogs!”
At Taoist Wang’s shout, Dan Sang-woon’s face stiffened rigidly. He closed both eyes as if unable to understand Taoist Wang’s excuses and fear of the Imperial Army, and suppressing that frustration tightly.
“···Then, why did you rescue me?”
“What do you mean? If not for me and this young friend, that fellow would have tortured you. Demanding that you hand over complete Imperial Army martial arts··· And since little time remains for me, you must now take the insights I achieved all this time···”
“I am going back. Right now.”
At Dan Sang-woon’s words opening his eyes, Taoist Wang’s face, which had been heating up, turned pale again.
“···Going back?”
“Chae-yun, Sang, and Yeong are in Senior Brother’s hands. Hearing your story with Senior Brother, I don’t know what Senior Brother might do to them. Do not tell me to abandon even my family.”
“How dare you! Taking this master’s words as what—”
Just then, Taoist Wang suddenly coughed violently, covering his mouth and crouching his body. And red blood he could not block even with his palm spilled heavily onto the ground.
“Master!”
Startled, Dan Sang-woon supported his master. Approaching his side, Jang Geon quickly scanned Taoist Wang’s body, checking his condition.
“Not good. Internal organs are too damaged.”
Had it been modern medicine capable of laparotomy and blood transfusion, there might have been a possibility of saving him. But even if that were possible, it was unknown if Taoist Wang, past eighty, could endure it. In such a situation, opening his belly and tinkering here right now would instantly turn a situation of living one more day into a mere flash.
Having vomited blood heavily, Taoist Wang gripped Dan Sang-woon’s collar with his wet hand.
“···Sang-woon.”
“···Yes, Master.”
Facing death, Taoist Wang met Dan Sang-woon’s gaze with glittering eyes.
“I lived half my life as Imperial Army, harming countless people. So even while teaching you two, I committed many mistakes··· Cho Sang-ryong’s appearance today is also one result of those mistakes. This is··· yes, it’s simply all my fault.”
Seeing Taoist Wang’s condition, Dan Sang-woon bit his lip, distorting his face as he said:
“···No, Master. I know Master did your best in your own way.”
“Haha··· Such a gentle fellow. Teaching you only the Primordial Manual was because of that nature. Do Not Transmit to the Unworthy—pass ancient sages’ teachings to present sages. With you, you will be able to achieve the realm of Oneness of Object and Self spoken by the Primordial Manual.”
Gazing at Dan Sang-woon’s face, Taoist Wang soon turned his head to Jang Geon.
“I am truly sorry to you for getting dragged in out of nowhere. But may I ask one more favor?”
“Speak.”
At Jang Geon’s response with a shrug of his shoulders, Taoist Wang nodded.
“Please guard Sang-woon and me for just a brief moment. Then I shall transmit the Primordial Manual to you as well.”
Looking at the old man’s glittering eyes and now peaceful expression, Jang Geon could guess what he intended to do.
“···Will it be possible alone?”
“If I sought to live, it would be impossible. But at any rate, little time remains for me.”
At the old man’s calm response, Jang Geon nodded. At that, Taoist Wang pulled out a smooth book from his bosom and handed it to Jang Geon. It was a book without even a title written on the cover.
“The original Primordial Manual. I only ask··· that after reading it, you return it to Sang-woon.”
“I shall do so.”
Looking at that conversation and the book being passed, Dan Sang-woon looked back and forth between the two, unable to understand the situation.
“What, what talk are you sharing?”
“Come here and carry me on your back. How much of the Primordial Qi Cultivation Art did you practice?”
“Huh? Uh, about the seventh stage···”
While answering the question, Dan Sang-woon approached Taoist Wang and carried him on his back.
“Seventh stage. Good enough. Now let’s go inside.”
“Yes···”
The peaceful old man and the bewildered young man thus entered the old shack. After they entered, Jang Geon closed the shack door and sat down before it. Unbuckling Azure Dragon and placing it on his knees atop the scabbard, Jang Geon ignored an intense vortex starting to be felt behind his back and opened the book.
Transmitting Energy Across Bodies. In a situation where his life was imperiled and Dan Sang-woon’s family was also in danger, Taoist Wang decided to raise Dan Sang-woon’s level at once rather than making him wait for recovery.
Transmitting Energy Across Bodies in this world was an action akin to suicide, beyond dangerous. If one didn’t practice martial arts of the same lineage, attempting it was impossible, and even if practicing the same martial arts, eight or nine out of ten times the party transferring internal energy died while five out of ten receiving it obtained only very faint internal power—the height of inefficiency.
It meant how strong Dan Sang-woon would become when opening the door behind his back and stepping out was an unknown. However, Jang Geon stood guard silently without saying a word. That was partly because Taoist Wang’s internal injuries were severe so there was no way to save him, and simultaneously because Jang Geon personally needed time to recover from his wounds.
“···Will it be possible alone?”
“If I sought to live, it would be impossible. But at any rate, little time remains for me.”
At the old man’s calm response, Jang Geon nodded. At that, Taoist Wang pulled out a smooth book from his bosom and handed it to Jang Geon. It was a book without even a title written on the cover.
“The original Primordial Manual. I only ask··· that after reading it, you return it to Sang-woon.”
“I shall do so.”
Looking at that conversation and the book being passed, Dan Sang-woon looked back and forth between the two, unable to understand the situation.
“What, what talk are you sharing?”
“Come here and carry me on your back. How much of the Primordial Qi Cultivation Art did you practice?”
“Huh? Uh, about the seventh stage···”
While answering the question, Dan Sang-woon approached Taoist Wang and carried him on his back.
“Seventh stage. Good enough. Now let’s go inside.”
“Yes···”
The peaceful old man and the bewildered young man thus entered the old shack. After they entered, Jang Geon closed the shack door and sat down before it. Unbuckling Azure Dragon and placing it on his knees atop the scabbard, Jang Geon ignored an intense vortex starting to be felt behind his back and opened the book.
Transmitting Energy Across Bodies. In a situation where his life was imperiled and Dan Sang-woon’s family was also in danger, Taoist Wang decided to raise Dan Sang-woon’s level at once rather than making him wait for recovery.
Transmitting Energy Across Bodies in this world was an action akin to suicide, beyond dangerous. If one didn’t practice martial arts of the same lineage, attempting it was impossible, and even if practicing the same martial arts, eight or nine out of ten times the party transferring internal energy died while five out of ten receiving it obtained only very faint internal power—the height of inefficiency.
It meant how strong Dan Sang-woon would become when opening the door behind his back and stepping out was an unknown. However, Jang Geon stood guard silently without saying a word. That was partly because Taoist Wang’s internal injuries were severe so there was no way to save him, and simultaneously because Jang Geon personally needed time to recover from his wounds.
In an exhausted state, he could not face the remaining Soaring Eagle Unit. Though each of them might be slightly inferior to Jang Geon, in the current Martial World world where life and death were decided in a single move, facing multiple above-average warriors alone was no easy task.
Just then, Jojo approached his side and lightly nudged his head. Removing his eyes from the book, Jang Geon stroked the horse’s muzzle and spoke:
“Right. I acted a bit recklessly this time. There was no need to take all five of their strikes.”
Jojo snorted as if scolding the injured Jang Geon.
“Don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten what I built all this time.”
Jang Geon’s specialty was creating countless situations and possessing diverse martial arts capable of handling them. The remaining Soaring Eagle Unit and Cho Sang-ryong would now have to face that specialty. Pushing away Jojo’s head, Jang Geon organized the method to face them in his mind while giving attention back to the ancient martial arts manual before his eyes.
His eyes inspecting the ancient martial arts manual glittered brighter than ever.