Episode 390

When the World is in Turmoil, Heretical Cults Run Rampant (2)

 

Lee Gwak quickly took out the golden wound ointment from his pocket, and applied it to the boy’s deeply bruised abdomen.

 

Sizzle!

 

Blood bubbles foamed from the wound.

 

The boy trembled violently, his body shaking like a leaf from the excruciating pain.

 

In an instant, a scab began to form over the wound.

 

After the bleeding had stopped somewhat, Lee Gwak gave the boy a life-saving pill.

 

Both the Golden Wound Ointment and the Life-Saving Pill had been prepared by the Divine Physician. Their effectiveness was unparalleled.

 

He managed to save the boy’s dying breath. But that was not enough.

 

Lee Gwak channeled his internal energy into the boy’s Mingmen acupoint.

 

His qi from Eight Snakes Art flowed through the boy’s body and brought him back to life.

 

“Huh!”

 

Seok Yi-cheon let out an involuntary gasp.

 

He had thought the boy was dead for sure, so seeing the color return to the child’s face  shocked him to the core.

 

When the boy’s condition stabilized a little, Lee Gwak withdrew his internal energy and spoke.

 

“For now, I’ve saved his life, but we need a stable place for him to rest.”

 

“There’s one house still standing that’s in halfway decent shape. We can move the kid there. At least it will protect us from the blizzard.”

 

“Let’s do that.”

 

“Let’s do that.”

 

Lee Gwak carefully picked up the boy and followed Seok Yi-cheon.

 

The house Seok Yi-cheon led them to had its door torn off and all its windows shattered. However, the roof and walls were intact enough to provide shelter from the snow storm.

 

Lee Gwak put the boy in the cleanest room and gathered firewood to light a fire. Soon the room was filled with warmth.

 

While Lee Gwak tended to the boy, Seok Yi-cheon prepared a meal.

 

His bundle contained powdered grain and cooking utensils that Bang Ye-in had packed.

 

The grain mixture contained dried meat and various other ingredients – just add water and boil.

 

He hung a small pot filled with water over the fire, stirred in the grain powder, and soon a hearty porridge was ready in the pot.

 

Seok Yi-cheon ladled the porridge into a bowl for Lee Gwak first, then filled his own bowl.

 

They ate without speaking.

 

Though the taste was excellent, thanks to Bang Ye-in’s careful preparation, neither Lee Gwak nor Seok Yi-cheon could truly enjoy it.

 

“What in the world has happened here? Just a few months ago, this village was perfectly fine. How could it become a ruin overnight?”

 

“Exactly.”

 

“Sigh…”

 

Seok Yi-cheon sighed deeply.

 

The firelight cast a heavy shadow on his face.

 

Lee Gwak put his hand on Seok Yi-cheon’s shoulder.

 

“Are you all right?”

 

“Sigh! What crime did these people commit to deserve such a tragedy? They were ordinary people with no connection to the Jianghu…”

 

Having visited the village once before, Seok Yi-cheon knew that it had nothing to do with Jianghu.

 

Originally, it was a barren mountain valley. The land was littered with rocks, unsuitable for farming. But over the years, the villagers had poured their blood and sweat into reclaiming the land. Finally, they had begun to see some harvest.

 

The amount of sweat they must have shed was enough to fill a small lake.

 

He vividly remembered the village elder laughing and saying that they were just beginning to make a decent living.

 

Seok Yi-cheon couldn’t even finish half of his bowl and put it on the floor. The taste had turned bitter in his mouth. He tried to force it down, but he couldn’t.

 

“Gwak. You should get some rest. I’ll look after the kid.”

 

Seok Yi-cheon settled down right beside the boy.

 

Lee Gwak understood Seok Yi-cheon’s feelings.

 

Even back in the Jade Heaven Alliance, Seok Yi-cheon had been the most compassionate. The reason he had stayed in the outer hall after Lee Gwak left was to take care of the members.

 

His tender heart couldn’t ignore the suffering of others. Whenever someone even remotely connected to him faced misfortune, he felt their pain as if it were his own.

 

Perhaps that was Seok Yi-cheon’s greatest charm—his unwavering compassion and respect for humanity, no matter the circumstances.

 

Lee Gwak quietly got up and cleared the bowls.

 

Outside the broken window, white snow fell heavily.

 

It was as if a hole had been torn in the sky.

 

The snowstorm had already blanketed the world in white. Even the devastated village was covered in snow, making it deceptively beautiful at a glance.

 

“Sigh…”

 

Lee Gwak exhaled deeply.

 

As his sigh faded, the night grew darker.

 

***

 

The boy had a high fever all night. Seok Yi-cheon stayed by his side and nursed him with great care.

 

He cooled the boy’s feverish forehead with a cloth soaked in cold water, never taking his eyes off him for a moment. Thanks to Seok Yi-cheon’s attentive care, the boy’s condition had noticeably improved by morning.

 

“Ugh…”

 

The boy let out a pained groan, his eyelids trembling weakly.

 

Seok Yi-cheon looked at the boy with anticipation. As if to answer that hope, the boy opened his eyes with great effort.

 

“Wa…water…”

 

“Water? Hang on just a moment.”

 

Seok Yi-cheon hurriedly fetched water and helped the boy drink. Once he had somewhat regained his senses, the boy looked fearfully at Lee Gwak and Seok Yi-cheon.

 

“Ah… who are you?”

 

“We’re just travelers passing by. We came hoping to spend the night, and we found things like this. What on earth happened in this village?”

 

“Hic…”

 

The boy suddenly burst into tears.

 

The memories of yesterday’s tragedy came back and worsened his condition. It was a horrific memory he didn’t even want to recall.

 

But the boy endured the pain and spoke. Though his breathing was ragged, making it difficult to form words, he managed to get the main points across.

 

“It was the Heavenly Fate Sect…”

 

“The Heavenly Fate Sect?”

 

Lee Gwak’s eyes narrowed.

 

It was a name he had never heard before.

 

“The elders said they were a Taoist sect from the Black River region, but after the fall of the Zealous Justice Clan, they spread rapidly among the people. They claimed that believers of the Heavenly Fate Sect would go to paradise, while non-believers would fall into hell. Many people joined them, but our village…”

 

“Refused.”

 

“Yes! The village chief flatly refused. Then they brought people and… just… h-huk!”

 

The boy broke down sobbing again.

 

Lee Gwak closed his eyes briefly.

 

He didn’t need to hear more to understand what had happened.

 

‘A heretical sect has risen.’

 

When public sentiment grows turbulent, it’s all too common for deceptive cults to emerge. With the fall of the Zealous Justice Clan, which had once been the dominant force in the region, the balance of power had collapsed, and someone had likely created this sect to expand their influence.

 

The village Lee Gwak was staying in had over fifty households. Yet, only one survivor remained—proof of the Heavenly Fate Sect’s brutality.

 

Perhaps they were deliberately cruel to set an example. But regardless of the reason, the massacre of an entire village was an unforgivable crime.

 

Lee Gwak had noticed traces of highly skilled martial artists among the villagers’ corpses. And not just one or two.

 

He asked the boy,

 

“Does the Heavenly Fate Sect have martial artists?”

 

“I’m not sure, but… I heard several martial schools joined them.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

Lee Gwak’s gaze darkened.

 

Martial schools were places that trained martial artists. If they had joined, this was no mere cult—it meant they possessed formidable martial power.

 

Cults corroded the human spirit, leaving people broken. Combined with martial force, the result would be nothing short of disastrous.

 

Once a cult spread deeply among the people, eradicating it became nearly impossible. If not stopped before it grew further, calamity would befall the region.

 

A heavy shadow fell over Lee Gwak’s face.

 

“Gwak!”

 

Seok Yi-cheon cautiously called out to him.

 

“Yes, Brother.”

 

“What do you plan to do? Surely you won’t just let this slide? If we leave the Heavenly Fate Sect unchecked, their harm will know no end.”

 

Seok Yi-cheon looked at Lee Gwak with desperate eyes.

 

“I have no intention of letting this go.”

 

“I knew it.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Lim Sobo had asked Lee Gwak to establish the Mad Martial Sect on the former grounds of the Zealous Justice Clan. That meant establishing himself as the region’s new ruler.

 

In such a situation, he couldn’t stand by while a heretical sect ran rampant in the Zealous Justice Clan’s former territory.

 

Lee Gwak asked the boy,

 

“What’s your name?”

 

“Pi… Jin-ui.”

 

“Pi Jin-ui? Good. Jin-ui, do you know where the Heavenly Fate Sect’s headquarters is?”

 

“I’m sorry… I don’t know.”

 

“That’s alright.”

 

“Ah! But I know someone who might.”

 

“Who?”

 

“I’ll take you to him.”

 

“Don’t push yourself. You shouldn’t move yet.”

 

“No. I have to go with you. Even if I have to crawl, I’ll go. Please, let me come.”

 

Pi Jin-ui’s eyes were desperate.

 

Lee Gwak and Seok Yi-cheon knew what made him so desperate.

 

Seok Yi-cheon spoke for the boy,

 

“Let’s go together. I’ll carry him on my back.”

 

“Brother!”

 

“He’s pleading like this. He must have a good reason. If I carry him, he won’t be a burden.”

 

“Understood.”

 

Lee Gwak reluctantly agreed. Only then did Seok Yi-cheon and Pi Jin-ui’s expressions brighten slightly.

 

Lee Gwak shook his head and said,

 

“We’ll leave once the snow stops. Until then, rest well and recover.”

 

“Yes!”

 

Pi Jin-ui answered with all his strength.

 

The snow that had fallen all night had piled up nearly waist-high, and there was no sign of it stopping.

 

This winter felt unusually long.

 

Lee Gwak sat by the broken window, gazing at the pure white world outside.

 

****

 

The snow continued for almost two more days before finally stopping.

 

By then, Pi Jin-ui’s condition had improved significantly.

 

Though his wounds weren’t fully healed, he had recovered enough to be carried on Seok Yi-cheon’s back.

 

Seok Yi-cheon carefully lifted Pi Jin-ui onto his back.

 

Pain shot through the boy as his wounded abdomen pressed against Seok Yi-cheon’s back, but he didn’t let out a single groan.

 

Seok Yi-cheon found a long cloth in the room and tied it around himself and Pi Jin-ui to secure him.

 

Lee Gwak said to Pi Jin-ui,

 

“Lead the way. Where do we go?”

 

“About twenty li north from here is a place called Zhaoyang. There’s a martial school called the Extreme Sun Martial School. We need to go there.”

 

“Extreme Sun Martial School?”

 

“Yes. It’s the largest martial school in Zhaoyang, so it shouldn’t be hard to find.”

 

“Got it.”

 

Lee Gwak nodded and began walking.

 

Seok Yi-cheon moved carefully to avoid jostling Pi Jin-ui.

 

Thud! Thud!

 

They trudged through the snow that had fallen for two days.

 

Twenty li was a distance that could normally be covered in two hours. But with the deep snow and carrying a wounded boy, it took nearly three hours to reach Zhaoyang.

 

The streets of Zhaoyang were in better condition than elsewhere. The townspeople had cleared the snow from the roads, piling it on either side.

 

Though the ground was icy, it was at least walkable.

 

As Pi Jin-ui had said, finding the Extreme Sun Martial School was easy. The path leading to it was conspicuously well-cleared.

 

Several luxurious carriages were parked outside, and lively music spilled from within. A banquet seemed to be underway.

 

Given the presence of esteemed guests, over a dozen martial artists stood guard at the school’s main gate, maintaining strict vigilance.

 

Lee Gwak asked Pi Jin-ui,

 

“Is that the place?”

 

“Yes. Among the people who came to our village, I’m certain the master of the Extreme Sun Martial School was there.”

 

“Understood.”

 

Lee Gwak nodded and walked towards the martial school.

 

“Stop!”

 

“Stop right there.”

 

The martial artists at the gate became tense as he approached. But Lee Gwak didn’t stop.

 

“I said stop! Take another step and we’ll cut you down.”

 

The martial artists’ eyes were filled with wariness.

 

Finally, Lee Gwak stopped before them.

 

One of the martial artists pointed his sword at Lee Gwak and demanded,

 

“Identify yourself.”

 

“Is the school’s master here?”

 

“The master is entertaining honored guests and has no time for outsiders. If you wish to see him, make an appointment and return another day.”

 

“Tell him a guest from Heukseok Village has come.”

 

“Heukseok Village?”

 

The martial artist’s face instantly paled.

 

Then he noticed Pi Jin-ui on Seok Yi-cheon’s back.

 

“Ah! You—?”

 

Pi Jin-ui also recognized him.

 

His eyes burned with fury.

 

“That man killed our village chief!”

 

“How are you alive—?”

 

The martial artist was so shocked he nearly bit his tongue.

 

The boy should never have survived. If he spoke up, people would learn of the Extreme Sun Martial School’s deep ties to the Heavenly Fate Sect.

 

That couldn’t be revealed—not yet.

 

‘He has to die!’

 

Swish!

 

Instinctively, the martial artist swung his sword at Pi Jin-ui. But the blade never reached him.

 

Crrk!

 

Lee Gwak caught the sword between his index and middle fingers.

 

The blade was trapped as if stuck in stone, immovable.

 

The martial artist’s face flushed red as he shouted,

 

“Who the hell are you?!”