Chapter 314

Chapter 314
## Chapter 314. The Cold Wind of Late Winter (2)

—

A pungent, heavy aroma drifted intensely from the interior of the small timber container.
It seemed quite common…… though labeling an elixir as “common” felt rather peculiar, it was what it was.
It possessed a scent entirely absent from standard medicinal elixirs.
So-un Jin naturally cast a doubtful, askance look toward Ma-jeong Sa.
“Is it not to your liking?”
“What exactly is this item?”
“It is a sacred pill crafted exclusively for your consumption within the entire Tae-eul Sect.”
“……The aroma, or rather the stench, resembles a lethal toxin?”
He recalled a time when Seo-hui Dang had utilized a venomous substance that produced a remarkably similar odor…….
As So-un Jin knitted his brows in suspicion, Ma-jeong Sa offered an affirmative nod.
“To an ordinary martial artist, it could indeed act as a poison. Consuming it causes one’s cultivated inner reserves to diminish to a certain degree.”
What? This individual was incredibly hazardous. Just how much grueling, dog-like labor had So-un endured to accumulate that internal energy…….
“Conversely, if you swallow it, you will never have to worry about fracturing a single bone for the rest of your days.”
“Are you claiming my skeleton will become unbreakable?”
Ma-jeong Sa twitched an eyebrow before directing a query toward So-un.
“Are you familiar with Vajra Honey?”
“Is that not a remedy used for shedding weight?”
Vajra Honey was a rare nectar harvested by Blue Flower Bees that fed upon the sap of ancient, centuries-old Black Ebony trees.
Bizarrely, anyone who ingested it would experience a drastic drop in body weight, mimicking someone wasting away from a severe illness.
However, because it merely reduced body mass without causing any physiological damage, it was highly sought after by women for cosmetic reasons.
How marvelous it was to shed pounds effortlessly without having to cut back on one’s meals.
Yet, because tracking down a multi-century-old Black Ebony grove and locating the specific Blue Flower Bees residing within it was an immense chore, it was deemed a luxury among natural sweeteners.
Now that he recalled, there were rumors that consuming Vajra Honey would grant someone flawless, radiant skin.
Regardless, despite its rarity and steep price tag, it was hardly a supplement meant for a practitioner of martial arts.
It provided absolutely no benefit to the cultivation of internal force, serving only to make the consumer lose weight.
Wouldn’t that just leave a person looking like a pathetic, walking skeleton of skin and bones?
In the Jianghu, where a person’s external presentation dictated seventy percent of their public reputation, no self-respecting martial artist would willingly search for and ingest Vajra Honey.
“That holds true for standard individuals. But do you comprehend the mechanism behind that weight loss?”
As So-un listened quietly, Ma-jeong Sa continued to offer him loaded, meaningful expressions.
What was his angle? Was he waiting for a response?
“I have no idea.”
When So-un Jin gave a noncommittal shrug, Ma-jeong Sa launched into a smug, self-satisfied clarification.
“When a person digests Vajra Honey, it occurs because their skeletal structure completely absorbs it.”
Hearing this, So-un’s forehead puckered even deeper without him even realizing it.
Stealing one’s vital energy…… that was practically the definition of a toxin.
“But do you know the outcome when a martial practitioner ingests Vajra Honey?”
Ma-jeong Sa paused mid-sentence, clearly angling for some suspense.
Honestly, what had this gentleman been trying to pull for the past few minutes?
So-un Jin countered with a thoroughly unimpressed expression.
“What happens?”
“Heh-heh-heh, prepare to be amazed.”
Ma-jeong Sa threw both of his arms wide open as he explained further.
“Once the system filters out the internal energy, the skeletal frame transforms to become as indestructible as diamond.”
“…….”
“I have been informed that the noblewomen who utilized Vajra Honey never suffered a single fractured arm or snapped leg throughout their entire lifetimes.”
Wasn’t that simply because wealthy individuals, who had absolutely no reason to risk breaking their limbs anyway, were the primary consumers?
So-un Jin felt as though he were being pitched a scam by a shady street merchant peddling a fake panacea for immortality.
When he initially met this individual, he didn’t give off this kind of deceptive vibe…….
“How about it? Does it not whet your appetite all of a sudden? Are you not eager to gulp it down this instant?”
Ma-jeong Sa drew closer to So-un Jin, his eyes gleaming with intense fervor.
Seriously, what was wrong with this person’s mind?
So-un Jin pulled his hand away from the timber container and took a step backward.
“I have zero interest in eating that.”
“Eh? For what reason?”
“What benefit is there to having rigid bones? Where would I ever need to employ such a trait?”
“You foolish youth! Picture this: your internal energy is entirely depleted, and you find yourself trapped in a fatal predicament. In that exact moment! Even if an adversary attempts to smash your hand with a heavy bludgeon, your fingers will remain completely intact!”
“In standard combat, martial artists rely on swords or sabers.”
“Ah, quite true. Hmm…… well, wouldn’t it mean your bones cannot be severed by a blade?”
Why was this gentleman’s assurance suddenly turning hesitant at the very end?
‘It might not be severed’?
As So-un Jin’s expression soured even further, Ma-jeong Sa desperately scrambled to salvage his pitch.
“Then consider this scenario! You are cornered in an absolute life-or-death emergency. A horde of foes is hot on your heels, and you have been trapped at the very precipice of a massive drop!”
“…….”
“You would be forced to make a desperate gamble. Either permit the adversaries to slaughter you, or leap from the peak and perish from shattered bones upon impact.”
Ma-jeong Sa, pausing briefly to let the tension build, unlatched the timber container with an intense look and shoved it directly into So-un’s face.
“However! If you have actually ingested the miraculous medicine derived from Vajra Honey, you can plunge off that cliff and survive the impact without a single broken bone! From there, could you not discover a hidden legacy, mend your flesh, and eventually emerge to exact your ultimate vengeance?”
He had stayed quiet just to see how far the man’s delusions would stretch, but he was being subjected to utter madness.
No, fundamentally, a proper martial artist should avoid getting cornered at a cliffside by foes in the first place. Escaping toward an open path of survival was the absolute baseline of strategy.
So-un Jin let out a weary breath and inquired in a quiet, serious tone.
“……Give me the unvarnished truth. Is this medicine actually proven?”
The maniacal gleam in Ma-jeong Sa’s gaze faded slightly.
“……To be perfectly frank, I merely wished to witness a martial practitioner ingest it. Given that the outcome observed in women is undeniable, I was fascinated to see if an identical phenomenon would manifest in a warrior.”
“…….”
Son of a gun, so you’re telling me you intend to use me as a literal guinea pig right now?
Ma-jeong Sa frantically gestured with both hands to placate him.
“Ah! Rest assured, even if it yields no positive outcome, there will absolutely be no harmful side effects. On that, I give you my solemn word!”
As So-un Jin stared at him in icy silence, the doctor offered a faint sigh and muttered under his breath.
“Granted, parting with even a fraction of internal force is a massive sacrifice for a warrior. My apologies. Because your dantian is so remarkably vast, I allowed my greed to get the better of me……”
He then managed a strained grin.
“Think nothing of it. I shall construct a far superior spiritual pill for you shortly to replace the one you declined. For now, please grant me some time until the necessary components can be amassed.”
Ma-jeong Sa turned his back and fastened the timber container, his posture deflating with disappointment.
So-un Jin observed the man’s retreating figure, which practically radiated profound sorrow, before stepping forward and yanking the timber container away.
“Eh? You, could it be?”
It was already fully prepared regardless. Throwing it away would be a waste.
If it truly reinforced the skeleton, it might prove advantageous for the younger disciples of the Tae-eul Sect down the line.
And above all else.
“Make absolutely sure you honor your guarantee.”
On the off chance he actually tumbled down a precipice in the future, he might stumble upon a miraculous stroke of luck.
……It would be rather tragic if his body shattered into pieces right before finding it.
Gulp.
The acrid, unpleasant pill scraped roughly down his esophagus.

—

Following the consumption of the medicinal pill, a violent shudder racked his entire frame for a prolonged moment, as if a sudden fever chill had overtaken him.
Concurrently, he could sense the profound internal energy that had been anchored within his dantian slowly trickling away.
Initially, a wave of anxiety struck him regarding how much energy was dissolving, but the loss wasn’t as severe as his worst fears suggested.
Roughly five years’ worth of cultivation?
Reflecting on his previous incarnation, that would have been an astronomical loss, but in his current lifetime, it was a minor deficit that didn’t noticeably alter his capabilities.
“Well? What do you feel?”
“It feels as though my musculature is tightening slightly?”
Ma-jeong Sa eagerly probed about his physical state, his eyes shimmering with anticipation.
He scrutinized So-un’s facial expressions, demanded feedback on his internal sensations, and meticulously documented every minor somatic shift.
“Marvelous. Running trials on a martial practitioner truly makes this process incredibly efficient.”
Did this fellow just casually and openly refer to this as a trial?
“Excellent, shall we proceed to the subsequent trial?”
“…….”
Wow, the man wasn’t even bothering to veil his intentions anymore.
Regardless of So-un Jin’s sheer dumbfoundedness, Ma-jeong Sa began assembling a makeshift platform out of heavy bricks he had hauled from some hidden corner.
The twin supports rose to roughly the height of his hips, leaving a gap between them just wide enough to accommodate a human forearm.
“Rest your arm across this space.”
“…….”
“Eh? Why cast such a glare at me? Ah, my explanation lacked proper courtesy, please forgive me. I merely wish to conduct a trial to verify if your skeletal structure has indeed hardened.”
……Hey, I am fairly certain that is not the part of this situation you should be apologizing for, wow.
Nonetheless, he extended his arm over the designated gap just as instructed.
Though the current sequence of events was thoroughly irritating, a part of him was genuinely inquisitive.
He wanted to see exactly how rigid his bones had become, considering the transformation demanded the permanent sacrifice of accumulated internal force.
……Granted, the major flaw in this scenario was that the test subject happened to be his own physical body.
The moment his arm was positioned over the bricks, Ma-jeong Sa brandished a thick, heavy wooden bat.
It was a solid piece of lumber, discolored and polished from years of frequent handling.
So-un stared up at him with a completely blank expression.
“Do you even possess the physical strength required to make an impact?”
“I happen to command a respectable degree of internal cultivation myself. Oh, that reminds me! Do not circulate your own internal energy to shield yourself. If you do, it will completely invalidate the trial.”
Just how much martial power could a simple medical practitioner possibly possess?
He really should have called a halt to the madness the instant that thought crossed his mind.
*Whack!*
“…….”
The dense wooden bat shattered instantly, spraying splinters and sawdust in every direction.
The sheer intensity of the agony left him completely paralyzed, unable to even release a proper scream.
‘Gah! Son of a gun, what the hell was that!!!’
The doctor had delivered the strike with such monstrous force that the dual brick pillars supporting his arm immediately crumbled into dust.
Without a doubt, his arm had to be broken.
Just as he widened his eyes in absolute certainty that his limb had been ruthlessly fractured.
Ma-jeong Sa was beaming with pure delight.
“Observe this! Just as I deduced, it didn’t snap!”
“…….”
“This lumber is actually harvested from a Black Ebony tree. It is reputed to possess greater resilience than common iron. To think your skeleton remains completely unharmed while this weapon exploded into fragments. See! My calculations were flawless, were they not?”
When So-un lowered his gaze to inspect his arm with a bewildered face.
Though the flesh was rapidly flushing crimson from the violent trauma, the underlying bone structure was perfectly intact.
When he curled his fingers into a fist, his motor functions responded perfectly without hindrance.
It felt like the agonizing pain might actually kill him, but the defensive properties promised by the Vajra Honey were undeniably legitimate.
While he was fretting over the massive, dark hematoma that was undoubtedly going to form.
Ma-jeong Sa peered closely at the bruising skin and uttered with a hint of astonishment.
“H-hold on a moment.”
He then sprinted back into the deeper rooms of the medical facility.
At the very least, he possessed enough basic decency to fetch some medical treatment.
After all, while his bone hadn’t fractured, the skin had split slightly and was oozing a bit of blood.
To a seasoned martial artist, it was a trivial scratch, but to an ordinary civilian, it would look like a rather gruesome injury.
‘Tsk…… at his core, he is a decent man.’
The fundamental issue was that he periodically lost his mind whenever his obsession with medical science took over.
Then again, could that truly be judged as an entirely negative trait?
Was it not precisely because of that manic dedication that he achieved such unparalleled mastery in his craft?
While he stood waiting for Ma-jeong Sa to return with soothing herbs and Golden Sore Ointment.
*Sring.*
When he whipped his head around at the sound of a deeply unsettling metallic ring.
“Hup-cha!”
Ma-jeong Sa reemerged from the back room brandishing a long, sharpened saber.
What in the world was he thinking?
“……Did you not return to the back to retrieve the Golden Sore Ointment?”
“Eh? What use would we have for Golden Sore Ointment right now?”
“…….”
Ma-jeong Sa babbled with manic thrill, a radiant smile plastered across his face like the warm sunshine that dissolves winter frost.
“We must press forward with the next stage of the trial! According to historical texts, a bone reinforced by this method cannot be fully severed even by the sharpest of blades……”
He had been completely mistaken.
This wasn’t a matter of academic zeal.
The man was unadulterated, certified insane.
*Tadat—*
So-un instantly bolted from the medical facility at maximum velocity, executing the advanced Sole Traveler of the Heavens movement technique.
“W-where do you think you are going! You! Can we not just test it out for a brief second……!”
……The distant, muffled cries of the lunatic echoed behind him.

—

He spent the vast majority of his vacation residing within the estate of the Tae-eul Sect.
He dedicated half of each day to enduring the grueling instruction of Hae-gwang Baek, and routinely visited Do-won Jang’s forge to pester the craftsman about the timeline for completing his next legendary weapon.
……And he spent the remainder of his days interacting with the younger students of the Tae-eul Sect, all while carefully evading Ma-jeong Sa, who was actively seeking an opportunity to test a blade against his forearm.
In that manner, the leisurely holiday vanished as swiftly as a speeding arrow.
Time seemed to grind to a complete halt during grueling trials, yet how could a period of blissful relaxation evaporate so instantaneously?
The Sect Leader along with the various Hall Masters proposed throwing a modest feast to send them off as they prepared to journey back to the academy, but his father, who held a vice grip on the family finances, was entirely against the idea.
The older man was still harboring a grudge over the reckless exploits So-un had pulled back in Hwang-cheon County.
Nonetheless, because the honorees of the celebration encompassed not merely himself but also Sa-ryeon and the Gold, Silver, and Bronze brothers, his father ultimately relented and organized a small gathering.
Consequently, for the first time in a long while, the disciples associated with the Tae-eul Sect, their families, and all the retainers of the Tae-eul Sect gathered together to savor the festivities.
“Seriously, everything concluded positively in the end, so why do you remain so incredibly stressed?”
Hearing his words, his father, who was throwing back a small cup of alcohol, glared fiercely and bellowed.
“You wretched little brat! Do you have any conception of the sheer agony I went through to clean up the underworld reputation trailing behind you!?”
Ah, so the source of his fury wasn’t actually related to the Jeon-deung-mun incident?
“Every single time the caravan of the Great Heaven Merchant Group travels through the region, syndicate factions from the underworld emerge out of the woodwork to flank us and provide armed escorts! And they are doing it for. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!”
Hmm…… wasn’t that actually a massive benefit?
“That sounds fantastic. We cut down overhead expenses while guaranteeing top-tier security, effectively killing two birds with one…… gah!”
He tilted his head just in the nick of time to evade a ceramic cup flying directly at his nose.
To think his own father would resort to hurling a liquor cup at him; what had pushed him to this extreme?
“You arrogant brat! You understand the reality of this world just as well as I do! Society is a place where people will fabricate offenses out of thin air just by nitpicking flaws that don’t even exist. Yet you willingly donned the guise of an underworld thug……!”
Ah, so he was genuinely distressed over his safety and future.
So-un remarked nonchalantly while draining his own cup of liquor.
“It matters not how immaculate my conduct is; those who are determined to despise me will despise me regardless.”
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
Eh? What was happening?
All of a sudden, the lively mood of the banquet instantly froze.
The entire room of laughing, chatting guests suddenly fell silent and shifted their attention toward their table.
Had he uttered something incredibly offensive?
Surely not……?
He chose to pay no mind to the sudden shift in the room’s energy and pressed on with his thought.
“It has operated that way since the very beginning. No matter how many achievements I racked up or how thoroughly I validated my capabilities, the skeptics refused to believe, and the agitators searched for a fight. That dynamic will likely persist indefinitely.”
He spoke serenely about the cold realities he had observed up to this point.
He had naively assumed that things would shift once he gained admission to the academy, secured the rank of top scholar, and demonstrated his worth.
The legendary Nine Sects and One Union, the elite Five Great Clans, and the old guard who had dominated the Jianghu for centuries.
He had believed that no matter how biased their metrics were or how much they manipulated unfair circumstances to preserve their dominance, if he simply shattered their obstacles and forged ahead, he would eventually earn their genuine respect.
‘Like hell they ever would…….’
Instead, the more he demolished the barriers they placed in his path, and the higher he scaled the monumental fortifications they had established.
The more aggressive their containment strategies and life-threatening plots became.
That pattern would undoubtedly mirror his future experiences.
“Therefore, I resolved to stop stressing over it. If they are destined to be detractors regardless, is it not far more efficient to rapidly ascertain who is a foe and who is a comrade?”
He paused his monologue momentarily to down his entire cup of wine in a single motion.
“By laying my cards on the table like this, those who harbor hostile intent will unmask themselves swiftly, and those who desire alliance will step forward. Is that not logical?”
Not a single soul offered a reply to his query.
For the most part, the crowd bore deeply somber and conflicted expressions.
He spoke confidently about filtering out adversaries from companions, but realistically, the odds of forging genuine alliances were remarkably bleak.
They were likely pondering the core dilemma of whether any established power would genuinely risk linking their destiny with the struggling Tae-eul Sect.
Right at that precise moment.
“Pardon the intrusion…… is there anyone available?”
An unfamiliar figure stepped across the threshold of the Great Heaven Merchant Group.
“Ah, my sincerest apologies. We are not accepting commercial requests today due to a private event……”
Before Chae-seok Kang could finish his explanation, the newcomer shook his head to clarify.
“I am not here to commission a transport. I am here to complete a delivery.”
“A delivery?”
The messenger nodded respectfully and retrieved a formal scroll from within his heavy robes.
“This is a token of appreciation dispatched by the Grand Leader of the Il-ju-mun, explicitly addressed to the brilliant young martial artist, So-un Jin of the Tae-eul Sect.”
“…….”
“…….”
Every pair of eyes in the hall instantly snapped to lock onto him.
Chae-seok Kang bolted upright from his seat and hurried over to take the scroll from the messenger’s hands.
“‘I desire to extend my profound appreciation to the young hero So-un Jin, whose decisive actions neutralized a perilous threat that would have plunged the entire Jianghu into absolute anarchy. Signed, Il-ju-mun Grand Leader, Seong-hyeop Jo’ ……What on earth is the meaning of this.”
While the members of the Tae-eul Sect stood paralyzed, staring blankly as Chae-seok Kang read the contents aloud.
Yet another courier marched into the main hall of the Great Heaven Merchant Group.
And trailing right behind him was a line of heavily laden laborers hoisting massive crates.
“Is the young master So-un Jin present? I have arrived to deliver luxury items dispatched from the prestigious Thousand Sword Hall.”
That initial wave was merely the vanguard.
“Young champion So-un Jin……”
“Is So-un Jin in attendance?”
“Master So-un……”
An endless procession of high-value offerings poured into the headquarters of the Great Heaven Merchant Group from every corner of the region.
Every single attendee of the feast abandoned their tables, rising to assist in managing the overwhelming influx of packages.
The accompanying correspondence was overwhelmingly packed with glowing admiration regarding his resolution of the Jeon-deung-mun crisis and lofty anticipation for his future milestones.
Before long, a hushed silence settled over the vast banquet hall.
Chae-seok Kang, whose hands were overflowing with official letters, lifted his gaze with a deeply flushed, emotional face.
“Are…… genuine comrades truly starting to rally to our side?”
As Chae-seok Kang murmured the words with an overwhelmed heart, Mun-gi Hong burst into a booming laugh and cheered.
“Why is everyone standing around looking so utterly stunned? The reality has manifested precisely as So-un predicted.”
“…….”
“Do you all…… have no desire to inspect the treasures?”
The moment Mun-gi Hong issued that prompt, the frozen room instantly erupted back into a frenzy of excitement.
The various Hall Masters along with the younger disciples began ripping into the mountains of packages the second they received the green light, their jaws dropping lower with every wrapping they removed.
“I have never laid eyes on silk of such exquisite quality before.”
“Uh…… External Hall Master, look over here, these are solid silver bullion bars……”
“There is a masterfully crafted blade inside this crate!”
So-un sauntered over to stand beside his father, who was staring at the chaotic, joyous scene with a completely shell-shocked expression.
“Look at that. My assessment was entirely accurate, was it not?”
“…….”
“Even if I possess a minor blemish on my reputation, those who evaluate me with an objective mind will recognize my true value.”
His father turned an incredibly complicated, emotionally weighed gaze toward him.
So-un gently clapped a hand onto his father’s shoulder and extended a finger toward a specific corner of the room.
“Look over there, the Hall Masters look like they are about to secretly slip a couple of those silver ingots into their robes; are you really just going to stand here and let them?”
Ultimately, his father let out a soft chuckle while shaking his head in mock defeat.
“……I absolutely cannot allow that.”
Just as the raucous, celebratory atmosphere of the banquet was reaching its peak once more.
*Tak, tak, tak.*
A collection of incredibly menacing, rough-looking individuals strode directly into the center of the Great Heaven Merchant Group.
The festive warmth of the hall instantly plunged back into an icy chill due to the arrival of these men, whose hardened countenances practically screamed ‘Underworld Syndicate’ to anyone looking.
*Srueung—*
A handful of Hall Masters instinctively dropped their hands onto the hilts of the newly gifted swords resting nearby.
The leader of the fierce-looking newcomers marched right into the center of the hall and bellowed at the crowd.
“Is this establishment the headquarters of the Great Heaven Merchant Group?”
“It is,” Chae-seok Kang answered as he took a firm step forward. “What is your business here?”
Rather than offering a direct response to Chae-seok Kang’s inquiry, the scarred man let out a sharp whistle.
Instantly, ten hulking brutes filed into the room behind him, each bearing a massive, elongated timber crate that bore an uncanny resemblance to a burial casket.
“Where might we find the Renowned Hero, So-un Jin?”
“……Renowned Hero?”
Chae-seok Kang whipped his head toward him, silently demanding an immediate explanation, but So-un was entirely incapable of offering a reply.
The man’s face was completely unfamiliar to him as well.
Following Chae-seok Kang’s line of sight, the syndicate leader’s eyes locked onto So-un, and he abruptly dropped to one knee, clasping his hands in a deeply respectful, traditional martial greeting.
“Chief of the Stronghold, have you been faring well since our last encounter?”
What? Chief of the Stronghold?
……Was this man genuinely addressing him?
“What are you louts standing around for? Unload the goods.”
“Understood!”
*Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.*
The ten heavy-set men slammed the massive crates down onto the wooden floorboards and threw the lids wide open.
The interiors were completely overflowing with everything from standard copper coins to solid silver pieces and glittering gemstones.
The syndicate leader lowered his head nearly to the floor and reported formally.
“This comprises the annual tribute for the preceding term, rendered to the Chief of the Stronghold from the Black Dragon Stronghold. Given our delayed restructuring and humble earnings, we humbly beg your clemency for the modest sum.”
Son of a gun, what kind of absurd nightmare was unfolding right now?
“Th-the Black Dragon Stronghold?”
“A-annual tribute?”
The disciples of the Tae-eul Sect spun around to stare at him, their expressions completely pale with horror.
And then, a terrifyingly low, menacing murmur vibrated from directly behind his back.
“A minor…… blemish?”
When So-un slowly turned his head around.
“The Black Dragon Stronghold, you say?”
His father’s face was twisted into an expression that suggested he was ready to commit immediate, cold-blooded murder right then and there.
No, seriously, I have absolutely no connection to or knowledge of this event.
I am honestly, truly, profoundly innocent.