Defying the Heavens Scholar - Chapter 11

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Defiant Prodigy – Episode 11

Episode 11. Gang No.

The moment the Imperial Family’s master unleashed a blade of sword energy into Musim Cave, I desperately summoned my Internal Force and became Gang No’s shield. But it came far too late.
Part of the sword energy’s momentum grazed Gang No’s body, and he coughed blood in the same breath.

“Master!”

I rushed to support him, but Gang No shook his head weakly. Then, gripping my hand, he spoke through ragged gasps.

“Do not…… cling to regrets. Is this not death that was bound to come…… someday?”
“……I cannot let you perish so helplessly, Master.”

Gang No seemed unaware of the Internal Force I had summoned. Likely the sword energy he faced had come too suddenly and with too much force—he’d had no moment to sense anything.
The problem was them. Whether they had noticed the anomaly in the energy I raised.
I quickly concealed the aura of my Internal Force, and wrapped both Gang No and myself in my now-colorless, odorless power.
So they might believe us both dead.
Their fierce energies were colliding violently—it seemed entirely plausible we would be lost amid that chaos.

“I’m grateful you spoke such words, at least. It’s only…… that one so young and sharp-minded must perish here…….”
“Perish? By any means necessary, I will escape this place with you. So…… just endure a little longer.”

His hand, gripping mine, trembled faintly—perhaps his heart had wavered.

“In truth, I built and designed this place myself.”

I was at a loss for words.

……

Gang No drew a slow breath and continued.

“Musim Cave—this cavern where you and I have been confined. I constructed it as the Imperial Family ordered: as a Kill Boundary. Those who enter cannot escape easily, and the slightest misstep will bury them whole.”
……

My chest went cold.
Trapped at last in the very place he himself had made.

“Yet even a Kill Boundary cannot be made without an exit.”

A bitter smile crossed Gang No’s lips.

“On the chance…… I left a single passage. Should the Imperial Family turn their back, at least this old man might crawl his way out.”

I swallowed hard.

“A hidden passage…… you mean to say it exists?”
“It does. Directly beneath us.”

He tapped the floor lightly with his toe. Among the vibrations echoing in rapid thuds, a subtly different resonance emerged—a hollow “thunk” sound. My eyes widened and I examined the floor carefully.

“There appears to be a mechanism. How does one open the door?”

Gang No’s hand touched his lower abdomen, the hollow place where his Dantian should have been—as though mourning something lost.

“It is a mechanically designed door, but so much time has passed that it will not function easily.”
“Then…….”
“I’ll need to bring it down with a strike that carries considerable Internal Force.”

Gang No’s mouth twisted.

“If only they hadn’t destroyed my Dantian…”

Beneath the brief sigh lay anger, hollowness, and regret that had come too late.

“Why this passage? Why…?”

Why had he kept it hidden all this time?
My voice cracked sharper than I’d expected.
The ceiling collapsed, the floor shattered. The mingled stench of dust and blood seeped through my nostrils.

“There’s no point telling you now. It would only breed false hope. Besides, even if we escaped, with the Imperial Family’s eyes fixed upon us, we’d be recaptured soon enough. This moment is our chance, but…”

I lowered my gaze at Gang No’s words.
At the same instant, an enormous roar shook Musim Cave violently.
There was no time for explanations. I immediately summoned my Internal Force and struck the floor.

Bang!

The heavy iron panel crumpled and cracked, and through the gap a gust of raw wind lashed across my face.
Gang No drew in a sharp breath, startled. It was only natural—he could never have imagined me, who had rapidly cultivated my Internal Force within the Formation Law and learned to conceal it, standing before him now.

“You… you…”

There was no time to answer.
I quickly hoisted him onto my back and threw myself downward.

* * *

As the sun tilted toward the horizon, fortunately—or for whatever reason—no pursuers came.
In that brief reprieve, I exhaled roughly and pressed my back against a crevice in the rock.
The sky still burned red, but shadows were already creeping down below the ridge.
Ahead, only a rocky spine that barely deserved to be called a path stretched on, like an endless blade.
The air I tasted for the first time in so long, the sky, and the forest’s fragrance—all of it quickened my senses.

“We’ll rest here for a moment.”

I settled Gang No carefully against the rock face.
An old man’s body ought to be light, yet today it felt heavy as stone.
I crouched before him, took his hand, and felt for his pulse.
Since we’d fled Musim Cave, I’d been constantly channeling my Internal Force into his body, and it showed—he was somewhat improved from before. His breathing, too, and the harsh trembling that had wracked him, had both steadied considerably.

‘Thank goodness.’

Only then did the tension knotted in my shoulders begin to ease.
The moment I drew a deep breath and exhaled, the cough I’d been holding back erupted all at once.

“Hack, cough—!”

A metallic taste bloomed in my mouth.
When I wiped my lips with the back of my hand, crimson flecks bloomed faintly there.

“You’re coughing up blood.”

Before darkness fell, Gang No caught it first by scent.
Though his eyes could not see, I felt as though his gaze rested upon me, and so I looked away.

“It’s nothing serious. My body simply hasn’t adapted to the sudden surge of Internal Force.”

But behind the words, something tore inside me with each breath.
Every inhalation felt like my organs were colliding, crying out in protest.
I clenched my teeth, steadied my breathing, and composed myself.

“I have many questions for you, but I won’t ask them.”

Gang No’s voice sank low.

“But this much I would ask: what comes next?”

I exhaled a long, slow breath.
What escaped between the breaths was not an answer, but emptiness.

“I don’t know. Where to go, what to do…”

Gang No nodded with visible effort.

“If no plan presents itself, then let us make for Sichuan.”
“May I ask why?”

Gang No exhaled softly and answered with a heavy nod.

“It’s where my Master dwells.”

Gang No drew in a breath, and from deep within his chest came a ragged, fractured exhalation.

“Thanks to you, I yet cling to life, but I fear this form won’t endure much longer. As death draws near, I find myself longing for my Master.”
“No—how can you speak such words?”

I tried to protest, but Gang No gently took my hand.
It was neither hot nor cold—dry and solid as ancient wood.

“No matter how much Internal Force you pour into these veins, it cannot unknot the Meridians that have already tangled beyond repair. I am nothing but a breathing corpse, you see.”

Those words cut through me colder than the wind itself.

“So grant this old man one final wish, I ask of you.”
“But there must be a way. Surely there is.”

Yet Gang No said nothing more.
Like one who had already accepted the end, he leaned into silence rather than speech.
I gazed at his face for a moment, then finally nodded.

“Very well. But if we find a way on the road to Sichuan, you won’t refuse it?”
“…Yes. Thank you.”

I slowly rose to my feet.
As I took Gang No onto my back, I felt his faint warmth.
Though he was heavy enough, something told me that if this warmth vanished, I could not take another step forward.

‘I will find a way. With the power of Formation Law alone, there must be a path to salvation.’

* * *

The sun hung halfway behind the ridge.
Red light stretched thin as a blade’s edge, and then the wind began to slice through it as it passed.
We moved through the spaces between paths—the shadows of boulders, the backs of thickets, the folds of ridgelines.
Avoiding every human eye, concealing every sign, even muffling our breath.

After descending for some time, the texture of the air shifted.
The smell of dust faded, replaced by the sharper scents of earth, moss, and wet stone.
From somewhere came the faint sound of water.

‘Around here, there should be places to hide.’

I found a spot where I could set Gang No down and let him rest for a moment.
A narrow crevice formed by stacked rocks caught my eye.
The entrance was small, but the interior seemed quite deep. More importantly, it wasn’t immediately visible from outside.
We caught our breath there briefly, then resumed our descent. Before nightfall came completely, I had to find a deeper, safer shelter.
After descending a bit further, a cave with a gaping mouth appeared before us.
From outside it looked like nothing more than a rock’s shadow, but inside, darkness rested quietly.
I stirred my Internal Force gently and sensed the energy within the cave. Thankfully, there was no trace of any beasts.

‘We’ll have to stay here tonight.’

The cave’s interior was damp, but it felt far safer than the open air.
I blocked the narrow entrance with several layers of rock, then ventured deeper inside to examine the space.

“Please wait a moment, sir. Let me check the area for any beasts nearby.”

I laid Gang No carefully on the floor, took a light breath, and launched myself out of the cave.
The sun was already sinking beyond the ridge.
The forest slowly deepened into a dark indigo, and the faint stench of beasts mingled with the wind.
To be safe, I set up several Qi Concealment Formations around the cave.
Simple formations made from a few branches.
Yet there was nothing more effective for concealing a person’s presence.
After laying the Qi Concealment Formations around the cave’s perimeter, I stilled my own aura and swept through the forest.
A moment later, a wild boar near a pool, grazing on grass, came into view.

‘This should be enough for tonight.’

My body sprang into the air as my toes pressed lightly against a rock.
Gathering Internal Force at my fingertips, I sent it forward in a straight line, and the wild boar let out only the briefest of cries before falling with a dull thud.
The Flick Finger Force wasn’t powerful, but it could easily pierce through a single wild boar.
When I was studying various texts within the Formation Law, I came across a passage that divided the realms of martial skill.

Third Class, Second Class, First Class, Peak Realm, and beyond.

Third Class comprises those who know martial arts.
Second Class are those whose Dantian has formed, allowing them to gradually accumulate Internal Force.
Beginning at First Class, the boundaries differentiate.
The entrance to First Class are those who can exert even a small amount of the Internal Force formed in their Dantian.
And the pinnacle of First Class are those who can direct their Internal Force to some degree as they will.
Beyond that lies the Peak Realm—those whose intent and Internal Force are one.
I cannot say with certainty what realm I currently occupy, but given that I could just employ the Flick Finger Force from the Shaolin arts, I would guess I’m at least at the pinnacle of First Class.

Slinging the meat over my shoulder and returning to the cave, I found Gang No still lying in the same position.
Only his breathing sounded slightly more regular than before.
That small difference felt like a great comfort to me that night.
I prepared the meal with the utmost care so as not to wake Gang No.

I gathered dry branches near the cave entrance and stacked them, then gathered Internal Force to kindle a spark.
After a few sparks flew and smoke began to rise, a small flame came to life.
I quickly cut the meat into pieces, threaded them onto a stick, and held it over the fire.
The sizzle of dripping fat began to fill the cave.

“……There’s the smell of meat.”

Gang No’s voice drifted from the darkness.

“Forgive me for waking you. You seemed hungry. It should be ready soon.”

Gang No nodded with effort, his gaze fixed on the flames as if they held answers.
His creased face glowed red in the firelight.
For a moment, silence settled between them.
The crack of fire, the hiss of fat, the rich aroma of roasting meat filled the cave.
Outside, the distant cries of night beasts echoed through the darkness.

“Go ahead. Open your mouth.”

I tore off a piece of well-cooked meat and handed it to him. Gang No chewed slowly, his brows drawing together slightly.

“Hmm… In my younger days, I could have devoured an entire wild boar on my own. Now even a single piece feels like too much.”
“Take your time. We can rest here tonight. There’s no rush.”

After sharing the meat several times, Gang No stared into the fire for a long moment before finally speaking.

“I should tell you something… about why we’re going to Sichuan.”
“What is it you wish to tell me?”
“If you think it’s only the nostalgia of an old man, you might end up resenting me. So I should explain.”

Gang No’s profile was half-swallowed by the firelight.
Though I couldn’t see his eyes, I sensed he was gazing at something distant in the void.

“Do you know whose disciple I am?”
“Your master in Sichuan… this story relates to him?”
“Yes. Mantonbaksa — that’s what the world called my teacher.”

Gang No drew a breath, then continued quietly.

“He was an eccentric who knew everything — the heavens and earth, the patterns of fortune, how the dragon veins beneath the ground flowed. A man versed in all things under heaven. Countless people sought him out, hoping to receive even a single word of his counsel. Endless bribes changed hands for such an audience.”

A faint smile touched Gang No’s lips as he spoke the name.

“But one day, he turned his back on the world. He grew weary of worldly affairs. He built a small hut deep in the mountains, refused to see anyone except me, and turned his heart away from the concerns of men.”

A spark flew from the fire, and a piece of wood cracked sharply.
Gang No paused at the sound, then resumed his story slowly.

“When I was forty years old… that life of seeing only stars and earth and wind suddenly felt suffocating. There were people below the mountain, the smell of living. But why was I trapped alone in this mountain? That question tormented me.”

I said nothing, turning the meat over the flames.
Even as the fire’s warmth touched my face, Gang No’s words burrowed deep into me.

“Around that time, someone from the Imperial Family came looking. I never learned how they found his hermitage, but they came and made a single request.”
“What was the request?”

Gang No seemed to sense my barely concealed excitement, and smiled faintly.

“It concerned the relationship between the Martial World and the Imperial Family. Ostensibly a request… but truly, they sought his guidance on how to manage the forces of the Martial World.”

My eyes widened at his words.

“That means…”
“Yes. The founding of Musim Cave, and the Imperial Family’s campaign to suppress the Martial World — both were born from my teacher’s counsel.”

I held my breath.
The sound of the crackling flames suddenly roared in my ears.

“Then Musim Cave itself reflects that man’s—the one called Mantonbaksa—vision?”
“No, that’s not it. My master met the prince only once, on the condition that we would never seek him out again…… and he gave us only the ‘path’ to the answer. The cave itself has nothing to do with him.”
“Then…….”

Gang No laughed, as if suddenly hollowed out.

“As I said before…… that’s right. I’d grown sick of my tedious life, so I followed them out into the world and took part in the prince’s scheme. Musim Cave is my creation too.”
“Ah…….”
“The problem came after that.”

Gang No tilted his head back slightly.
Toward the invisible ceiling, gazing upward like a man lost in ages past.

“Isn’t it always so with the Imperial Family? They care less about a man’s talent for creation than whether he can be kept under control.”

His words were calm, but calm in a way that chilled.

“After Musim Cave was finished, the Emperor’s inner circle summoned me separately. They said I’d done well, it was remarkable, I was a great benefactor to the realm…… they spoke nothing but praise, and then at the very end, they added this:”

A moment of silence.
Only the crackling of logs burning down filled the cave.

“The world need not know. Everything about Musim Cave need only remain between us.”

I realized my hands had stopped moving.

“That night, I died three times.”

Gang No’s hand slowly traced his own face.
It passed over the deep scars at the corners of his eyes, descending in a whisper.

“First, these two eyes. Then my meridians. After that, the gifted ones sent by the Imperial Family destroyed my Dantian itself—so I could never go anywhere else, never leave this place again.”
“……So that’s why you’ve remained here in Musim Cave.”
“That’s right. To them, I was merely ‘the man who designed Musim Cave.'”

Gang No exhaled sharply.

“They feared the secret might leak if I roamed free. Better to seal me inside the cave, make me spend my whole life tending to it alone.”

Gang No gave a low chuckle.
But that laughter held no warmth. It was steeped in a resignation that had festered long.

“Isn’t it bitter? A disciple who said he hated his dull life, who threw himself into the world…… and ended up spending his entire existence shackled in the deepest hole of all.”

I had no answer.
Each time the firelight flickered, his lines seemed to deepen, and with each deepening, something in my chest settled quietly downward.
After a moment, I opened my mouth carefully.

“So that’s why you wish to go to Sichuan. To your master.”
“Yes.”

Gang No nodded slightly.
The flames leaped up, and for a moment the cave brightened, then fell dark again.
Wind swept sharply past the cave’s mouth, stirring the fire.
Shadows stretched long, then folded back.
That night, we sat in silence for a long time, watching only the flames.
The fire burned slowly lower, but inside my chest, something began to kindle and rise.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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