Chapter 46: Chapter 46
“Are you all right?”
Cheon Woo-jin approached Escort Leader Zhang and asked.
It was Escort Leader Zhang Seong-guk, who had been sent flying through a wall while trying to stop Butcher Ma. He was lying sprawled in the courtyard, but when Cheon Woo-jin approached, he rubbed his lower back and stood up.
“Dear me, if I had known he was a martial artist who properly learned martial arts, I wouldn’t have let my guard down.”
Escort Leader Zhang spat out an unprompted excuse. He seemed quite embarrassed.
Cheon Woo-jin merely nodded his head roughly. Even if Escort Leader Zhang had not let his guard down, he would not have been able to overcome Butcher Ma’s strength. There were occasionally people whose physical strength was exceptionally greater than their martial realm, and Butcher Ma was precisely like that.
Feeling embarrassed, Escort Leader Zhang let out a dry cough and spoke.
“So, is the daughter all right?”
“Yes, as expected, it was poisoning symptoms, not an epidemic.”
“That’s fortunate. Fortunate in many ways.”
Escort Leader Zhang nodded his head.
In truth, it would not have been strange for him to be angry at Butcher Ma, but seeing him ask about the woman’s condition first, he did not seem to be a fundamentally evil person, even if he was somewhat old-fashioned.
Thinking that, Cheon Woo-jin said to Escort Leader Zhang:
“Then the escort convoy can cross straight through the village.”
“Mmh…”
Escort Leader Zhang let out a peculiar groan. Thanks to Cheon Woo-jin, he knew it was not an epidemic, but passing recklessly through a place where an entire village was poisoned was uncomfortable.
“It seems an expert of poison arts targeted the village, right?”
“Most likely.”
Cheon Woo-jin nodded his head nonchalantly.
Escort Leader Zhang’s worries deepened. An expert of poison arts was a fearsome existence even in the martial world. Because it was rather difficult to predict when and how one would be struck.
It was also the reason why the martial world feared the Sichuan Tang Clan or the Five Poisons Sect of the Beyond the Border.
Observing Escort Leader Zhang’s expression, Cheon Woo-jin spoke.
“I intend to catch him.”
“…Is there really a need to do that?”
The situation was already one where they had to take risks, so clashing with an expert of poison arts was burdensome. Even though he knew that the two Martial Alliance rookies were far greater experts than he had thought.
“My master has a debt to settle with him.”
Cheon Woo-jin became certain while treating the woman. Detoxifying the poison was not difficult. At the time he was struck by Dok-ra-su, Master Black Elder would also have been able to detoxify it without difficulty.
The fact that he kept Dok-ra-su alive despite that meant that, just as Master White Elder said, he let it slide because they were once friends.
Of course, Master Black Elder in his youth was very likely weaker than the current him, but that was also the case for Dok-ra-su.
Escort Leader Zhang continuously let out groans. In any case, since he too was a martial artist, he knew that as a disciple, he could not simply overlook his master’s story.
“Do you perhaps have a plan? If even by any chance our escorts or cart-pullers get swept up in it, an uncontrollable tragedy will occur.”
Cheon Woo-jin nodded his head. Naturally, he had no intention of causing trouble for the escort mission.
“Yes, if you only do as I instruct, no one will be harmed.”
Looking at Cheon Woo-jin speaking firmly, Escort Leader Zhang eventually let out a sigh.
“…I understand.”
In any case, Cheon Woo-jin was the savior who had saved his life. If Cheon Woo-jin had not been there, everyone in the escort convoy, including himself, would have been slaughtered by the Heungsan Stronghold bandits.
Just as Cheon Woo-jin was explaining the plan to Escort Leader Zhang like that.
“Great Hero.”
“…?”
Cheon Woo-jin turned his head at the out-of-the-blue address of Great Hero. Butcher Ma was kneeling on the dirt ground. Promptly knocking his forehead against the ground, Butcher Ma spoke in a resolute tone.
“Even if I’ve lived uneducated my whole life, I’m not such a son of a bitch as to forget the grace of saving my daughter’s life. I will repay this debt of gratitude no matter what, Great Hero.”
“That’s enough.”
It was not just polite talk; it was truly unnecessary. In the first place, it was not something done to help someone. It was merely that in the middle of doing what he had to do, someone happened to receive help by chance.
However, the gaze of Butcher Ma, who raised his head, was incomparably resolute, like a general facing war.
“No. Even though all I have is this body, even if this body wears away and disappears, I will definitely repay the grace.”
Cheon Woo-jin let out a low sigh. Seeing Butcher Ma’s expression, he did not seem in any mood to give up easily.
So he asked.
“How will you repay it?”
“Pardon?”
When asked back like this, Butcher Ma blinked his eyes blankly. For now, his heart was brimming with the desire to repay the favor, but thinking about it, there was no particular way.
After pondering for a long time, Butcher Ma picked up the butcher knife lying in a corner of the yard and spoke.
“If there is a bastard you want to kill, by any chance…”
“…”
Cheon Woo-jin made an absurd expression. Butcher Ma also realized it was not something to say to a Martial Alliance member and scratched his head in embarrassment.
“…I will return to where I used to be.”
“Where is the place you used to be?”
“Black Overlord Castle. That is the place I was last affiliated with.”
People were shocked at Butcher Ma’s words. Because the Black Overlord Castle was the dominant power of the Unorthodox Path in the present era.
In particular, the Lord of the Black Overlord Castle was the number one figure of the Unorthodox Path, and was even referred to together with the Heavenly Demon Cult Leader and the Martial Alliance Leader as the Three Pillars Under Heaven.
Escort Leader Zhang continuously rubbed his lower back.
“No wonder. I’m not someone to be taken down easily…”
Everyone glanced at Escort Leader Zhang and just ignored him.
Butcher Ma’s words continued.
“Although my martial prowess is not that high, I have ties and achievements built up from rolling around in the Black Overlord Castle for half my life in my own way. That must be why the Black Overlord Castle bastards are looking for me. I will return there again.”
Cheon Woo-jin tilted his head.
“How is that for my sake?”
“While living as a Martial Alliance member, you will often encounter matters related to the Unorthodox Path. After returning to the Black Overlord Castle and regaining my proper place, I will become strength for you, Great Hero.”
“…”
Cheon Woo-jin was not very keen on it. However, if he even refused this, it seemed he would not let them leave easily.
“Yes, I understand.”
Having said that, Cheon Woo-jin immediately turned his steps. The escort convoy was also somewhat delayed, and if luck was bad, there was a possibility that Dok-ra-su would flee first.
Just as Song Yi-yeon and Escort Leader Zhang watched the mood and followed behind Cheon Woo-jin.
From behind, Butcher Ma’s thick voice was heard.
“Ma Yong-seok. Please look for Ma Yong-seok of the Black Overlord Castle Main Branch.”
That seemed to be Butcher Ma’s name.
Saying he understood nonchalantly, Cheon Woo-jin soon moved away from Butcher Ma’s house. Until the party grew distant and out of sight, Butcher Ma merely stood in that spot and watched their backs.
* * *
“It truly is eventful.”
Escort Leader Zhang said in a sigh-filled voice. Although he expected this escort mission would not be easy, he did not know it would be to this extent.
The escort convoy was crossing through Baokang County, where the epidemic was said to have spread.
Escort Leader Zhang turned his head and looked at the escort convoy following behind. The escorts and cart-pullers already had clear signs of nervousness.
Everyone was not touching the village’s food or water, just as Cheon Woo-jin had said.
Cheon Woo-jin, who was leisurely surveying the village scenery alone, suddenly opened his mouth.
“Young Hero Song, there is no need to cover yourself like that.”
Song Yi-yeon had pulled his martial uniform up to his nose and thoroughly blocked his respiratory tract.
“Ahem, it is not that I cannot trust Young Hero Cheon, but there is no harm in being careful.”
“He will probably show himself soon. I will pursue the bastard, so please take care of the escort convoy while I am away.”
“Of course. Just trust me.”
“…”
He had blocked his respiratory tract so thoroughly that a nasal voice came out, so he did not look particularly trustworthy.
The escort convoy was crossing the village without any major issues. Although the villagers occasionally cast sharp glances, no one paid mind to them.
Cheon Woo-jin’s plan was simple. If the entire escort convoy did not drink a single drop of water until completely passing through the village, Dok-ra-su’s heart would inevitably become somewhat hurried.
Because if not a single person among the escort convoy passing through there contracted the epidemic while the entire village was infected, it would instead arouse suspicion that it might not be an epidemic.
The Dok-ra-su heard from Master Black Elder was quite a crazy man, but the fact that he had not been caught until now also meant that he was a thorough person.
A long tail gets stepped on. Therefore, Dok-ra-su would somehow poison the escort convoy. Only then would it look like an epidemic.
Just how much time had passed like that?
Cheon Woo-jin, who was sitting cross-legged on the cart and broadly spreading his sensory perception, suddenly stood up from his seat.
“I-is it now?”
Song Yi-yeon asked in a somewhat nervous tone. Cheon Woo-jin only nodded lightly, then immediately took out the Crane Feather Fan from his robes.
When he shook it lightly, the breeze gathered at the tip of the fan instantly turned into a gale and surged outward.
Whooosh!
The widely spread gale swept through the air once.
Stepping lightly down from the cart, Cheon Woo-jin said to Escort Leader Zhang:
“Since I have scattered the poison that the bastard sprayed, increase the speed of the escort convoy.”
Soon, Cheon Woo-jin looked in the direction where the poison had been scattered and lightly stomped on the ground.
Thud!
The ground instantly shook, and Cheon Woo-jin’s figure shot out and flew like an arrow.
Looking at Cheon Woo-jin, who had turned into a dot and disappeared in an instant, Escort Leader Zhang gulped and raised his hand high.
It meant to speed up and hurry out of the village.
* * *
‘Just how on earth did he notice?’
Running away by swiftly executing lightness art, Dok-ra-su was filled with wonder.
Throughout his entire life, he had researched to create a single poison.
It was none other than the Formless Poison. It was truly a legendary poison said to have neither color, odor, nor aura. He dedicated his whole life to perfecting it, and surprisingly, he achieved quite a result.
Out of colorless, odorless, and sensationless, he had achieved as many as two.
He had scattered the colorless, odorless poison, which even prominent masters throughout all under heaven could not notice, toward the escort convoy.
Yet, a young martial artist whom he hadn’t even paid mind to had scattered it away.
‘It feels ominous.’
The Dok-ra-su liked making thorough plans and achieving them step by step. But an unexpected variable had occurred out of nowhere.
From experience, at times like this, suspending everything he was doing and running away was the best policy.
‘In any case, I’ve obtained almost everything I could get from this village.’
In an instant, he arrived at the safehouse prepared on the mountain behind the village. Even after arriving, Dok-ra-su, whose face was masked, remained vigilant of his surroundings for a while. He had an extremely cautious personality.
After a short time passed like that, having confirmed that no one had pursued him, Dok-ra-su entered the safehouse.
Of course, his sensory perception was still spread wide.
Inside the small hut, all kinds of medicinal ingredients were strewn about, and several poisons were boiling like decoctions.
Smelling the poison fragrance filling the interior, he felt a little more at ease.
The Dok-ra-su began putting only important medicinal ingredients into a bundle one by one. He intended to pack only the precious ones and burn the hut down whole.
When a hut scattered with all kinds of medicinal ingredients and poisons burned whole, a unique poison fragrance and coloring arose, and watching that was also Dok-ra-su’s hobby.
‘Of course, I won’t be able to see it today.’
Leaving his regret behind, Dok-ra-su held the quickly packed bundle and scattered oil on the floor.
Soon, just as he was about to open the door and step out…
“Ack, damn it!”
Startled, Dok-ra-su spat out a curse. Because just a moment ago, the young martial artist with good senses from the escort convoy was standing blankly in front of the door.
Not only had he not been caught by his sensory perception, but because of an impression as cold as if carved from ice, he was even more startled.
Even amidst his shock, Dok-ra-su looked up into Cheon Woo-jin’s eyes and instinctively realized he was no ordinary escort bureau guard.
Immediately widening the distance, he drew the dagger from his robes. Of course, it was no ordinary dagger. It was a secret poison weapon from which preloaded poison powder gushed out every time a strike was unleashed.
“Is that the Poison-Concealing Dagger?”
“…”
The Dok-ra-su was greatly flustered. How did that bastard know the name of this secret poison weapon? No, aside from this, it meant he even knew his own identity.
“Who the hell are you!”
To the question with evident signs of nervousness, Cheon Woo-jin merely answered nonchalantly:
“I came to collect an old debt of my master.”
“What the hell does that…”
The Dok-ra-su’s words could not continue.
Thud.
Only a heavy sound of impact echoed lowly.