I doze off for a while, but I wake up when my dantian starts to feel itchy. Should this be called narcolepsy? Or should we understand it as the aftermath of becoming stronger faster than others?
The phenomenon of falling asleep often after someone’s internal Qi gets pushed into the Heavenly Cell feels like some sort of warning. Because if it wasn’t for this I probably would have sucked in the internal qi of my opponents every time I fought.
Kangho’s Fourth Disaster.
That means it could be me.
If one possesses martial arts strong enough to escape the illusions of another. I was aware of the fact that I could be someone above human.
I look at the quiet inn with my eyes open and for a moment mistake this place for Zaha Inn. Because the internal structure is different I realize that this is reality.
‘Phew I thought I went back again.’
It is annoying so I don’t want to go back to the past again.
After drinking the water on the table I look outside the place and see the server lying face down on the table sleeping.
‘Perfectly alert. Look at this.’
As soon as I come to my senses I am filled with the things that I thought to do so I let out a slight sigh.
‘Is this some form of addiction?’
It is a situation where a person has no choice but to be diligent even though they know that it isn’t good to live such a busy life. It is because I am in the middle of both sides like the Cult Leader said.
Anyway there is a slight chance that I can become more insane than I was in my previous life after struggling like this.
I erase my thoughts and focus on the Wooden Chicken stage of the Strolling Golden Turtle Technique.
After a while I put down my hands and took out my pouch to leave on the table take my dagger and leave the inn.
“See you again.”
Behind me the server is startled as he shouts.
“Sect Leader. Payment!”
“On the table.”
“Ah thank you. But how do I get into the Low-Down Sect?”
“I don’t accept guys like you.”
“Why!”
I speed up and answer
“It is my decision.”
Actually there is no need to enter the Low-Down Sect until the inn. I slowly pick up the speed with the mindset of training footwork and then sprint to the right.
Thanks to White Face Young Lord I don’t have to head to Mount Hua.
However since he didn’t inform me of where his hometown was there was a need to return to the Right Valley once again. That said within a few days there is a chance that the warrior of magic will appear from that direction.
To summarize the situation in the Valley is a mess right now with everything scattered. In particular many of White Face Young Lord’s subordinates are scattered throughout the grounds which are said to have poisonous thorns.
It seems like Right Valley Leader was using his head. When I arrived at the place that used to have a flowery path it was nothing but a muddy field now.
Master Yukhap looked at me with a normal face.
“Sect Leader you are here? White Face Young Lord.”
“I dealt with it. And here?”
Master Yukhap replies while wiping his sword with a cloth.
“Of course I killed them all. Without letting anyone run.”
“As expected of Yukgap.”
It looks like Master Yukhap is a bit irritated because he replies with a short answer.
“Yukhap.”
When I looked around on one side Right Valley Leader was treating his shoulder with medicine paste and on the other side the other injured ones were receiving treatment here and there.
I look at the expressions of the people and the messed up Right Valley Leader and then call Lady Iron Toad who was standing there dazed.
“Lady.”
“Yes Sect Leader.”
After checking her condition I ask
“Did the lady just watch?”
To which she smiles and says
“… Ah actually I.”
“Actually what.”
“Stood still like someone who didn’t know martial arts then saved my energy for the dangerous looking men by assassinating them. And again I assassinated two who were trying to attack Master Yukhap from behind. Maybe it is because I am not used to being able to fight in front of many.”
Master Yukhap nods.
“I got some help.”
I applaud silently as I listen to her.
“Come to think of it even when we fought in the past the assassin’s skills were fierce.”
“Ah yes.”
“You were very sloppy then and even now too but you still saved Master Yukgap.”
Master Yukhap who is listening to this mumbles
“It is Yukhap.”
Lady Iron Toad smiles as if she is embarrassed and tells me
“That White Face Young Lord looked strong but as expected of Sect Leader.”
“Right. Certainly he was much stronger than the old opponent we both fought against in the past.”
“Ah right.”
I make eye contact with her and smile at the same time.
“But you know.”
“Yes Sect Leader.”
“What Lady told me the other day… you said you would tell your friends not to get in the way. Didn’t you pass it onto the Right Valley Leader?”
“Ah you remembered. I passed it on to all my close friends. However at the time it was the Black Rabbit Union so we changed the delivery date to the Right Valley. At that time the Sect Leader was known as the leader of the Black Rabbit Union. It is said to be the Low-Down Sect now.”
“So such a thing happened.”
I approach the Right Valley Leader with my hands behind my back.
“Is Valley Leader alright?”
Right Valley Leader answers with a softer attitude than before.
“I am fine.”
I set a chair down in front of the man sit and look around. I wave to Byuk Geom.
I sit the three people in front of me and say
“Does Flower Valley Leader know a little about medicine?”
To which he answers.
“Yes Sect Leader.”
I tell him what I think of the medicine.
“Listen if the withdrawal symptoms occur due to not taking the cure the first 30 days will be full of severe pain.”
“Yes.”
“The next 20 days cause the pain of being bitten by insect-like things. Following this for the next 10 days or so there will be itchy pain. Then high fever for three days to come… if you hold on this far one will head into the recovery period. What do you think?”
Actually if I was speaking to Moyong Baek about the withdrawal symptoms he would be much better at dealing with this. But for now Flower Valley Leader was the only one who I could talk to.
He seems to be deep in thought.
“Full body pain bugs itching high fever in that order…”
“You see what I mean? If you don’t deal with each one our friends will have a hard time handling it because it will be messing with their heads.”
Right Valley Leader and Byuk Geom look at each other and sigh at the same time. And Flower Valley Leader says
“If the pain is really terrible there is no other choice but to endure it with four different types of drugs as Sect Leader said.”
“Hmm?”
“When the pain in the body starts there is a drug which will mentally calm the person. Valley Lord himself has no choice but to consume his Qi and stamina altogether or to sweat until the extreme situation comes to excrete it all out of the body as swiftly as possible.”
“Right?”
“I will judge the situation and deal with it.”
“Next.”
“Cope with the pain of being bitten by the insects with standard prescriptions. Since itching is the aftermath we respond by applying herbs. A high fever is the symbol of recovery so they have no choice but to endure it thinking it is extreme body aches.”
I point to Byuk Geom.
“So can you take care of Byuk Geom as well?”
Flower Valley Leader nods.
“Yes sure.”
First of all after discussing how to resolve the side effects with the right treatment I look at Right Valley Leader. It was about a different problem this time.
“What will Valley Leader do now?”
“About what?”
“I couldn’t find out about their base from White Face Young Lord. All of White Face Young Lord’s subordinates died on the spot so his superior will come soon….”
“Hmm.”
“Since the superior of White Face Young Lord is said to be the third young lord of the Demonic Sect he could come directly or the third one’s maternal grandfather could appear.”
I point my finger at Right Valley Leader.
“It means that we can all die if we stay here and do nothing.”
Right Valley Leader is silent.
I am honest and share the situation.
“If the third young lord comes it will be worth sticking to my side. If he is a genius then we might be stopped. But martial arts aren’t everything. But if that bastard’s maternal side comes into the picture then I cannot be sure of anything. Fighting running doing this and that you have to be so damned to even deal with them. It has to be pretty scary. There is a high chance that he will be a veteran who participated in the Demonic Sect’s succession war.”
Suddenly the entire place falls silent.
“What will you do?”
Right Valley Leader asks me with a bitter expression
“If the Sect Leader gives instructions I will follow them. According to my judgment which is rational this entire place was something I inherited from my father so I cannot just leave this place… Listening to this situation it seems so arbitrary.”
This wasn’t a situation where I should be feeling this frustrated but I have a bad feeling about this so I try.
“For now give me the pill which the Right Valley Lord has. Give that to Yukhap.”
“A pill so suddenly….”
“What? You want to fight then? Then you don’t have to give it. Look Yukhap.”
After being called by his name properly Master Yukhap immediately replies
“What?”
“Let’s go.”
“Okay.”
I get up at the same time as Master Yukhap I wave my hand at Lady Iron Toad and the others.
“Then I wish you luck.”
“….”
Lady Iron Toad hurriedly approaches the Right Valley Leader and whispers in a frustrated tone.
“Valley Leader can you stop… can you handle it?”
“No it isn’t that but I was a bit embarrassed.”
Right Valley Leader calls me.
“Sect Leader you had a lot to do today so things didn’t go as planned.”
As I turn Right Valley Leader stands up and says to me
“Sect Leader there are pills in my possession. I will give it.”
I reply in a dry tone.
“Is it going to be the poison which requires a cure but cannot be found?”
“Would I do that now?”
“What?”
“It is called Rain Flower Scent and it is a pill that we cultivate with great care.”
“Care?”
“Usually when you take it for the first time you can add up to 78 to 128 years of internal Qi based on your mental stability. It is a pill which becomes less effective the longer we use it so you need to take it over a period of time.”
Even so it is the highest level among the pills. He didn’t seem to relay it due to the Heavenly Prison but it would be a good help to Master Yukhap.
I look at Yukhap.
“Have you heard of Rain Flower Scent?”
“I have.”
“Can you tell them apart? Fake or real?”
Mr. Yukhap nods as if it isn’t difficult and I whisper
“Is it good?”
Master Yukhap who is looking at me with his back to the people raises and lowers his thumb.
But I wasn’t someone who liked the Right Valley Leader so I continued going with my harsh tone of speaking.
“Right. It would be a waste.”
“No.”
I speak of the things I wanted to tell this guy ever since I stepped foot in here.
“Look here Valley Leader. You are older than me but it is only because we judged this situation like this. Looking at your expression it seems like the pill would be a waste money is a waste and even this place is a waste. There isn’t any other possible idea either. Martial arts weaker than the White Face Young Lord but not of orthodox side either. It isn’t the unorthodox which believes in their own pride and risks their lives. It seems like this is somewhere between here and there but then suddenly chooses to live according to what they want. Well I intend to beat all the people entangled with the Demonic Cult but seeing what you do and say gives me this sense of odd skepticism.”
Before they answer I tell Lady Iron Toad
“Lady do help us and then you can leave. Getting caught up too much into this will lead to death. When things get bigger than this I won’t be able to handle it all.”
Lady Iron Toad’s wide eyes glared at Right Valley Leader feeling a bit offended maybe.
“Right Valley Lord are you going to do this right? Are you going to serve Sect Leader like an alley?”
To which the guy who is pale in color suddenly walks to me and then stops.
“Sect Leader.”
“Do speak Valley Leader.”
“I’ve never spoken a lie to anyone. You most likely won’t like the attitude of mine or the way I speak. You have already helped Master Yukhap and us once so even if you go back like this I will give you the Rain Flower Scent. If I survive I will be cooperating with the Low-Down Sect in the future.”
Well the slightly right answer came out.
Still I’m in a bad mood so I glance at Master Yukhap. He nudges his elbow to my side as if he wants to take the Rain Flower Scent.
“Let us have a look. If we didn’t know about its existence just leaving here would have been fine but now that we know we cannot leave it with a powerful enemy possibly coming for us. We are going to kill the Demonic leaders anyway right?”
I look at master Yukhap a bit shocked. This guy this was the most he’s talked since I met him.
To the Kangho warriors the pill is so scary.
Contrary to my inner thoughts I speak in a calm tone.
“Master Yukhap you are so righteous.”
“It was nothing.”
“Perhaps maybe….”
Master Yukhap cut off my words abruptly.
“Even if not for the pill. Just helping out feels comfortable. Well since we have injuries of the past eating this might help.”
I grab him by the shoulder.
“Master even if you and I work together there is a possibility that we will be pushed back. It means that we can die helping each other out. Will you be alright though?”
For a while the Ghost Demon from the previous life wears a troubled expression.
It was worth seeing the expression of this guy who tormented people now fill with worry and desperation for a pill.
Master Yukhap tells me
“Can I be honest?”
“Be honest.”
“I want to eat the pill. If I eat it I will be indebted to this place. If there is a grudge it has to be paid back and if I receive favors that should be paid back too. Those who live in Kangho will become stronger when they decide to overcome the difficulties they are going through. You can help me.”
If he thought I would be quick to help then he was mistaken. I look at the Right Valley Leader and speak slowly on purpose.
“Valley Leader.”
“Yes Sect Leader.”
I rub my fingers and ask
“Do you have money?”
“….”
I armed my mind with the mindset that I would never help for free because it would make me feel bad.
