Chapter 9 : Seeking the Spiritual Medicine (3)

Chapter 9: Seeking the Spiritual Medicine (3)

“Prepare yourselves. We’ll pursue them as well.”

“Huh?

Mo Biyoung shook her head.

“It’s dangerous. Why would you willingly put yourself in harm’s way, Young Master?”

She couldn’t understand.

Curiosity alone wasn’t enough to justify this. On top of that, Yong Hwarin was fearless.

You could say he was reckless, but just by looking into his eyes, you’d know—this wasn’t the kind of curiosity born from inexperience in the martial world.

There was something far more desperate about it. That was why she’d held back until now, but she still felt the need to fulfill her duty to ensure his safety.

Yong Hwarin looked at Mo Biyoung and spoke.

“Master Mo, the martial world is about to face a great upheaval. To survive that chaos, our sect must grow stronger. The elixir will play a key role in strengthening us. But I won’t be reckless and risk lives for it. I believe the current Young Master of the Serpent Dragon Sect is closest to acquiring the elixir. We’ll follow behind them.”

Mo Biyoung interrupted Yong Hwarin.

“That doesn’t make sense. First of all, the martial world is currently at peace. And our sect is not weak enough to rely on an elixir. You’re lying to satisfy your own curiosity, Young Master.”

Yong Hwarin wanted nothing more than to confess the truth. But who would believe him if he said he came from the future? They’d write him off as insane and cast him out without a second thought.

“You really underestimate me, Master Mo.”

“What are you saying?”

Mo Biyoung frowned at Yong Hwarin’s sudden nonsense.

“If you truly saw me as your Young Master, even if I did something unreasonable or gave a questionable order, shouldn’t you at least be willing to follow through with it? Am I really spouting nonsense right now? If we have a chance to take the elixir right before our eyes, isn’t it only right to go for it? We’re not ascetics—how could we transcend such desires? I want us to obtain that elixir. It’s not that we don’t desire it—it’s that we don’t have the strength, so we don’t dare step into the fight. But I want to take that elixir and raise our sect to become the foremost force in Henan.”

Yong Hwarin poured out his frustration like a waterfall. Mo Biyoung and the Two Wook Sword Demons looked at him with surprised expressions.

They hadn’t expected someone who always acted like a timid scholar to harbor such grand ambition.

“The foremost sect in Henan, huh.”

Those words brought a faint smile to Namwook’s lips.

Mo Biyoung was also visibly surprised, but deep inside, she felt a flame begin to kindle.

‘Have I been seeing him as too much of a child?’

By treating him like a child, maybe she had prioritized safety too much and ended up binding him. She started to reflect. It was almost laughable that the words of a Young Master could stir her heart like this, but he wasn’t completely wrong.

Just as he said, their lack of strength was what kept them from joining the scramble for the elixir. Unable to face the experts of the Demonic Path, she had wanted to keep the Young Master away from Seven Strings Mountain.

Even if that hadn’t been her original intention, she felt her face burn with shame, as if her inner thoughts had been exposed.

Still, Mo Biyoung quickly steadied herself.

‘The top martial household in Henan? That’s fine, but only if we have the skills to match. For now, that dream is still a long way off.’

With the right potential and skill, such a goal could become a genuine ambition. But ambition without skill was nothing more than a pipe dream.

Mo Biyoung saw Yong Hwarin’s goal as more of a delusion than a legitimate aspiration. As her thoughts swirled, she finally made a decision.

‘Alright. Having come out into the world, the Young Master must be growing confident that he can shape it as he pleases. But after facing reality, he’ll learn the martial world isn’t so easy.’

She decided to follow Yong Hwarin’s will. She believed this was necessary to help him grow into a greater man, more than simply keeping him safe.

“Understood. Do as you wish, Young Master.”

Yong Hwarin beamed with satisfaction as even Mo Biyoung, who had always held him back, agreed to follow his lead.

At last, he no longer had to twist himself into knots to persuade them. Until now, he had agonized over how to steer them toward his goals.

“Good. From now on, we’ll quietly tail the Serpent Dragon Sect.”

Leaving their horses at the inn, Yong Hwarin and the others began to follow Gocheok’s trail.

From a hundred paces back, as they pursued the disciples of the Serpent Dragon Sect, Namwook spoke up.

“So this was the plan. They’ve scattered their people to create a Heaven’s Net formation.”

“Seems like it. There’s no need for them to join the fight directly. All Gocheok has to do is focus on whoever has the elixir.”

As they arrived at a small forested hill, they saw disciples of the Serpent Dragon Sect surrounding it. Yong Hwarin understood how Gocheok had acquired the elixir.

Gocheok hadn’t taken the elixir himself. He had ambushed the person who possessed it.

His assumption had been correct.

‘A clever bastard. And cunning too.’

Yong Hwarin chuckled, not realizing how much he was like Gocheok himself.

“Any other movements?”

Jungwook had gone out to scout the area in case other demonic masters were nearby.

“None. But something strange—I saw several of them heading off in another direction.”

Yong Hwarin clapped his hands.

“Ah, Gocheok’s smarter than I thought. They must’ve been chasing fake leads. I wouldn’t be surprised if he made several decoy elixirs and spread false rumors. With a Heaven’s Net laid out, that’d be easy enough.”

“Then the one who came to this hill might not have the real elixir either, right?”

Yong Hwarin shook his head.

“No. Seeing how Gocheok has gathered his elite here, I’d say this is where the real elixir is.”

Just then, a scream echoed from the forested hill.

The screams didn’t stop—they continued to ring out.

“Whoever has the elixir must be a master. They’re withstanding repeated assaults from the Serpent Dragon Sect.”

Namwook turned to Yong Hwarin.

“Should we go in too?”

Yong Hwarin shook his head.

“Not yet.”

Mo Biyoung had been keeping a close eye on Yong Hwarin. Seeing how calm he remained, she was inwardly impressed.

‘If he were acting on youthful impulse, he would’ve rushed up there himself. But he’s waiting, like a seasoned martial artist. I really don’t know what side of him is the real Young Master.’

With each decision he made, she could sense a maturity far beyond his years.

After observing the terrain for a moment, Yong Hwarin’s eyes sparkled.

“We should wait over by that stream.”

The three of them naturally turned to look at him, and Yong Hwarin gave a playful smile.

“If they want to escape without leaving a trace, they’ll come this way. Anyone with a decent brain would. If not, they’re just fools.”

The three hid themselves in the brush by the stream, as Yong Hwarin suggested.

Screams still echoed from the hill. That meant the Serpent Dragon Sect hadn’t managed to subdue the one with the elixir.

A while later, as the screams finally stopped, Yong Hwarin spoke.

“From now on, silence your presence as much as possible.”

Soon after, they heard splashing from upstream.

A martial artist, soaked in blood, came stumbling along. Even from a distance, it was clear he was in bad shape.

Shiiik!

Like a bird swooping down, someone blocked his path.

Splash!

A young man landed in the stream and spoke.

“You killed so many of our elite and still managed to make it this far. You’re worthy of your name, Flying Demon Blood Lion.”

At those words, the three companions flinched.

Flying Demon Blood Lion—one of the top one hundred martial artists across all demonic, dark, and heretical paths.

His Blood Lion Palm was feared even among demonic experts, and his lightness technique was unrivaled, earning him the title “Flying Demon.”

Though he looked middle-aged, in truth, he was an old man over sixty.

“Ho ho ho. Never thought I’d be cornered by brats like you. If not for those Tang Clan bastards, I’d have turned you into mincemeat with my Six Palms.”

Even while surrounded, the Flying Demon Blood Lion showed no fear. He had absolute confidence in his martial arts.

Even now, he could still escape if he wanted to.

The only concern was whether those old freaks from the Tang Clan would continue to pursue him.

But when he saw what Gocheok pulled out, his expression hardened.

“Full Rain Needle Case!”

Gocheok smirked at the sight of his reaction.

“I paid good money for this. And don’t think I only brought one.”

Even the Flying Demon Blood Lion knew how powerful this weapon from the Dark Heaven Sect was. Though it paled compared to the Tang Clan’s, its strength was not to be taken lightly.

Against peak-level experts, such weapons wouldn’t matter much. He could normally deflect them with his inner qi shield.

But now, he didn’t even have one-third of his usual strength left. In this state, he couldn’t block all those needles.

“You think I’ll go down to such a petty trick?”

The Flying Demon Blood Lion scoffed and stomped hard with both feet.

Water from the stream shot upward in a circular shield.

“Get him!”

At Gocheok’s shout, he unleashed the Full Rain Needle Case. Hundreds of feathered needles flew toward the Blood Lion.

At the same time, the Eight Serpent Dragon Swordsmens and Twelve Serpent Dragon Sabermens of the Serpent Dragon Sect launched their assault.

Pop pop pop pop!

Five fighters collapsed in the stream, blood gushing from them. Gocheok ground his teeth at the sight of his elite falling so easily.

“We have to catch him!”

He shouted as the Blood Lion staggered within the watery shield.

Then the Blood Lion leapt into the air.

But Gocheok’s expression was bright, not panicked.

Just as the Blood Lion soared toward the woods, Gocheok barked another command.

“Fire!”

Shushushuiiiik!

Arrows rained from the trees above and below. The archers didn’t even aim—they just fired en masse.

“Well, damn.”

Namwook gasped in admiration at Gocheok’s thorough preparations.

“Even the Flying Demon Blood Lion...”

Jungwook couldn’t hide his shock. The arrows struck the Blood Lion’s body mid-air, and he plummeted.

The Eight Serpent Dragon Swordsmens and Twelve Serpent Dragon Sabermens rushed to finish him.

“Let’s die together, you bastards!”

The Flying Demon Blood Lion, prepared for death, exploded all his remaining inner strength and flung his blade at them.

Flesh flew in all directions, limbs scattering into the air.