Return of the Sword Emperor - Chapter 33

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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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Chapter 12: It Works If It Lands (2)

“Why did you call me?”
“Come over here, quick.”

Nam Goong Ho dragged Dok Go Jin toward a secluded corner.

“Alright, stop. We’re far enough away that no one will hear us now.”

Even so, Nam Goong Ho glanced around cautiously before lowering his voice to ask.

“What exactly happened?”
“What do you mean?”
“How did you get up here? The iron chain would need at least four days to lower again.”
“Who knows.”

Dok Go Jin chuckled softly, scratching his ear.

“And those flocks of birds at dawn—are they connected to you somehow?”
“What do you think?”

At Dok Go Jin’s cryptic expression, Nam Goong Ho’s eyebrows shot upward in surprise.

“Ha! All right, so here’s what happened……”

Dok Go Jin broke into a grin and began calmly explaining the events that had unfolded in the Forbidden Place.
He thought that anyone else might deserve to be kept in the dark, but Nam Goong Ho—who had survived the Free Roaming Sect’s trials with difficulty and guarded his back right to the final moment—deserved at least this much trust.
As the explanation unfolded, Nam Goong Ho’s face cycled through every possible reaction.
Shock, bewilderment, fury, and finally exultation.
He was especially outraged when he heard about Do Sang Cheon, who had been imprisoned in the Forbidden Place under a false accusation, but when Dok Go Jin reached the part about using the flock of birds to escape, Nam Goong Ho actually broke into applause and cheers.

“So that worthless pill really was made from Thousand-Year Stone Fungus?”
“Still doubting it? Gwi Myeon Sa Sin kneaded it together with flour and dough. If we’d been even slightly slower, every prisoner locked in the Forbidden Place would have recovered their martial arts.”
“That would have been disaster.”
“Exactly. Even though they’re half-crippled by Scattered Qi Poison while they’re locked up, not one of them is anything less than a monster. If they’d all been set loose? The guards and wardens in the Repentance Prison couldn’t handle it, not even with our help backing them up.”
“Ugh!”

Nam Goong Ho’s whole body shuddered.
The mere thought of those prisoners from the Forbidden Place—called the worst of the worst—running amok sent a chill down his spine.

“Anyway, just follow my lead and you’ll be fine. I’ll make sure you grow stronger.”
“But you’re certain the effect works, right?”

Nam Goong Ho asked, his tone tinged with doubt.

“What? The pill made from Thousand-Year Stone Fungus?”
“Yes.”

Dok Go Jin stared at him as if he’d said something absurd.

“If you ask for more later, you’re dead.”

* * *

“Is this… true?”

Gwi Mun Ja’s voice trembled slightly as he posed the question.
His eyes were wavering too, betraying considerable shock—a rare occurrence for someone known by the nickname Iron Heart for his usual composure.

“We’re still verifying, but the likelihood that it’s true is extremely high.”

At Na Do Ryang’s response, soft groans escaped from the lips of Eon Sa Gyeong and Sa Gong Ye.

“How many are we talking about?”
“The Mu Dang Sect and Great Tiger Sect each appear to number around sixty or seventy, and the Dang Family somewhat fewer—perhaps fifty—though this too requires confirmation.”
“If true, that’s a formidable force by any measure.”

Eon Sa Gyeong expressed his concern.

“Hmm. For them to move secretly to the Repentance Prison at this precise moment… they must be after the Heavenly Wolf Group and Red Moon Group.”
“It could also mean our movements have been leaked, Master.”

When Sa Gong Ye spoke with a hardened expression, Gwi Mun Ja cautioned him.

“We cannot entirely rule it out, but neither can we jump to conclusions based on mere speculation.”

‘No—it really does seem like our information leaked. Jeong Mu Maeng’s response has been far too swift. Something about this doesn’t sit right.’

Eon Sa Gyeong, glancing at Sa Gong Ye lost in thought, opened his mouth.

“We should assume they’re preparing defenses at the Repentance Prison as well. The situation is dire.”
“Should we abort the operation?”

At Sa Gong Ye’s cautious question, born of an ominous foreboding, Gwi Mun Ja spoke with finality.

“It is the Heavenly Demon’s command. We cannot.”

Though he cited the Heavenly Demon as his pretext, Gwi Mun Ja was one of the rare few who knew that Deung Bi had obtained the guidance of the Nameless Guest. No matter what price had to be paid, Deung Bi had to be saved.

“If we can mobilize reinforcements at maximum speed, will there be troops capable of arriving in time?”

Eon Sa Gyeong, who had already been studying the map and testing possibilities, shook his head.

“Impossible. However, the Death Soul Squad, which was repositioned to check the Yang Family Clan, will arrive shortly. If we move them, they’ll be of considerable aid.”
“The Death Soul Squad. Ah yes—they’ll be invaluable.”
“And what’s most fortunate is that three masters from the Hidden Horse Hall are joining us.”

At Sa Gong Ye’s words, Gwi Mun Ja broke into laughter.

“Indeed. They spoke of relieving their boredom, but it’s worked out most fortuitously. Na Do Ryang.”
“Yes, General.”
“Gather more precise intelligence on the enemy’s movements and warn the Heavenly Wolf Group and Red Moon Group as swiftly as possible.”
“Understood.”
“This is our chance to capture everyone at the Repentance Prison—and all those pouring in as well.”

The light in Gwi Mun Ja’s eyes as he studied the map glinted coldly.

* * *

Nine days had already passed since Dok Go Jin declared he would help his companions grow stronger.
Every four days, Dok Go Jin distributed to his comrades a single pill crafted from Thousand-Year Stone Fungus, and when they first took it, they showed considerable reluctance—whether on account of its taste and aroma, none could say with certainty.
But after Nam Goong Ho heard a detailed explanation of how the pill was made and what its effects were, he consumed it with enthusiasm unmatched by the others.
Following Nam Goong Ho’s example, all of them took the pill, and its effects were undeniable.
Over the course of four days, as his companions quietly absorbed the medicine’s potency, they erupted in exultation at the unmistakable surge in their internal energy. When they received the second pill, they handled it with reverence and care, as though they had been granted a treasure of the world, before consuming it with solemnity.
On the fourth day after taking the third pill, his companions were pouring all their effort into Qi Circulation Meditation in the Mil Geom Dan’s quarters.
By the entrance, Won Jong—who had labored long to recover from his wounds—watched his practicing comrades with eyes filled with longing.
Though his external injuries had nearly healed, not even the Thousand-Year Stone Fungus pills could restore his shattered dantian.

“Forgive me, Senior.”

Dok Go Jin, who stood guard at the entrance and effectively served as protector, caught sight of Won Jong’s expression and offered an apology.

“What are you talking about? Why would you apologize?”

Won Jong waved his hand dismissively, as if the very notion were absurd.

“True, I cannot use martial arts, but thanks to the Pill you gave me, my body has recovered enough that I have no trouble with daily life. That alone is a tremendous debt of gratitude.”
“Still—”
“Enough.”

Just then, a sound came from the entrance, and Woo Gon, who had stepped out briefly, poked his head back in.

“Where do you keep wandering off to? Don’t you realize how critical this moment is?”

At Won Jong’s words, Woo Gon let out a derisive snort.

“You be quiet. If anyone heard us, they’d think chaos had broken out. Surely you’re not pouting because you can’t recover your martial arts?”

Woo Gon whispered in a mosquito-small voice, needling him deliberately.

“Isn’t it you who’s doing the pouting, coming and going all the time like that? Something about it seems suspicious.”

To anyone watching, they might have looked like they were quarreling loudly, but Dok Go Jin, who had been hearing variations of this same exchange for days now, simply smiled.
Just as Won Jong had lost his martial arts when his Dantian was destroyed, Woo Gon—having lost an eye and then an arm—was practically on the verge of retirement from the Mil Geom Dan as well.
Rather than despair, the two men soothed their wounded hearts by needling each other.
Besides, their fellow disciples were not so fragile that such noise would shake their resolve or hinder their progress.

“The Deputy Leader was the same way, but it seems the Leader has completely surpassed her own wall too.”

Woo Gon gazed in admiration at the flower that had blossomed brilliantly above her head before fading from sight once more.
Jong Gak had achieved perfect Three Flower Gathering just before taking the second Pill, while Yu Seol Ran, on her fourth day after taking the third Pill, had accomplished the same perfect state today.

“Yes, she had already grasped the clue beforehand.”

Dok Go Jin nodded with a bright smile.

“It’s thanks to your efforts.”

Woo Gon’s expression turned genuinely envious.

“Ha! I did work at it pretty hard, didn’t I?”

Dok Go Jin, who had not stopped at merely standing guard but had poured his own Internal Energy directly to aid their Qi Circulation Meditation and thrown meditation topics suited to each of their levels to guide their understanding, did not deny the worth of his own labor.

“Honestly, the really remarkable one is that fellow there.”

Won Jong pointed to Nam Goong Ho, who sat deepest in the corner performing Qi Circulation Meditation.
Nam Goong Ho, lost in a state of no-self as he meditated, bloomed with a flower every bit as radiant as Yu Seol Ran’s.

‘That one is a true genius.’

Dok Go Jin watched with quiet satisfaction as Nam Goong Ho’s latent potential was properly unleashed.

“But Jin—”

Woo Gon called to Dok Go Jin.

“Yes, senior?”
“It’s drawing to a close now, isn’t it?”
“Yes, I should monitor the condition a bit longer, but I’m planning to wrap things up soon.”
“Don’t we have some Pills left?”

Won Jong asked quietly.

“We do.”
“Then why wrap things up?”
“Taking more won’t produce the same dramatic effect as before. Besides, I thought we should give the other members a chance to benefit from them as well.”
“Other members? Who? The people in the other squads?”
“Yes.”
“We don’t have enough Pills for that. There are only a few left. We can’t give to some and not others—if a fight breaks out, what then?”
“That’s not my concern.”
“What?”

Won Jong and Woo Gon exchanged looks of disbelief at such an irresponsible attitude.

“Ha! I was joking. I’ve already discussed it with the Vice-Leader. He’ll be managing the remaining Pills. He’s consulted with the Leader, and they’ve decided to distribute them as rewards to members as the situation warrants.”
“Phew! That’s better. Well done.”

Woo Gon, relieved, asked again.

“So it’s all done now?”
“Far from it. Now we begin genuine training.”
“G-genuine…?”

Seeing Woo Gon’s confusion, Dok Go Jin elaborated.

“A child doesn’t become an adult just because his body suddenly grows larger. Similarly, thanks to the Thousand-Year Stone Fungus Pills, everyone’s internal energy has surged dramatically—but learning to apply it properly within one’s own martial technique is an entirely different matter. That’s what we must practice now.”
“Wouldn’t that adjust naturally as time passes?”
“How long would that take?”
“You can’t force something that won’t happen overnight, either.”

When Won Jong voiced his doubt, Dok Go Jin broke into a grin.

“There is a method, of course.”
“A method…?”

Gripped by an inexplicable sense of dread, Won Jong trembled as he spoke.
Dok Go Jin gazed at his comrades lost in Qi Circulation Meditation, his eyes endlessly warm, and answered.

“They take a beating, and everything works out.”

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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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