Chapter 347

Chapter 347## Chapter 347. Revenge (3)

“Attempt to unknot it correctly!”

“……”

“Does Shaolin no longer instruct on meticulous energy regulation?”

“Th-they certainly do. Naturally, I even secured superior marks in that discipline.”

“Then for what reason can you not unravel this!”

Il-gak replied as though he were enduring a grave injustice.

“Th-this knotting is far too convoluted. Moreover, well… it is deeply embedded within the musculature of the Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Bear, so extracting it is no simple feat.”

“Untangling such a knot is precisely where skill is proven!”

“Th-then, Jin Si-ju… rather, Commander Jin, you ought to attempt it yourself.”

“Blast it, do such words truly cross your lips after witnessing the condition I am in?”

I extended my hands toward him, which had been reduced to tattered flesh from gripping the Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Bear.

“……It did not appear that you sustained *that* catastrophic an injury….”

“What did you just mutter?”

“Ah, nothing. Why will this not give way? *Hnngh*….”

Good grief, consider my current predicament. I appointed him as the 1st Squad Leader, yet here he stood, whimpering because he was incapable of unraveling the Thousand-Silk Thread.

“In all candor, for an individual who charged the Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Bear with naked fists, you appear remarkably whole.”

Now that he brought it up, precisely when had all my lacerations finished closing?

“……Do you genuinely believe I advanced upon it out of personal desire?”

“Even so, it brings comfort. That you draw breath still…. The unit members were genuinely distressed. I barely managed to restrain them from marching back here en masse.”

“……”

If I commanded them to flee, they ought to have simply run with all their might; why were they discussing a return? Since when had our bonds grown so profound?

“Then simply untangle this with haste! Do you intend to abandon me and flee once more should we encounter another corrupt abomination?”

“L-leave you and flee…! No, was it not Commander Jin who issued the directive in the first instance!”

“Do you truly depart simply because I bid you depart? You lot possess no fidelity.”

Il-gak’s bald pate flushed an even deeper crimson than when it had been bathed in gore.

“N-no! The hierarchy of command…. Heavens…. Commander Jin….”

“Just quicken your pace and untangle it!”

Il-gak, who was perspiring copiously under my castigation, finally succeeded in loosening the snarled Thousand-Silk Thread of the Flying Dragon Claw after two *gak* had elapsed. I observed Il-gak as he recovered his breath.

“Refrain from boasting to others that you comprehend energy manipulation. It appears you will only bring dishonor upon the reputation of Shaolin.”

“……”

Nonetheless, Il-gak offered no rejoinder to my provocation. What, was he sulking? Well, even if that were the case, evoking Shaolin might have crossed a boundary slightly….

“Commander Jin. How about prioritizing your own well-being for once?”

What prompted this sudden line of inquiry?

“On occasion, observing you, there are instances where your existence feels far too perilous. Resembling a candle attempting to illuminate the dark by consuming its own form.”

Il-gak’s countenance bore a glimmer of compassion more profound than ever before.

“I am filled with apprehension.”

Apprehension. Precisely what….

“Because that radiance is so intense that it feels as though it will extinguish momentarily, I am filled with apprehension.”

I felt somewhat bewildered by his phrasing for a brief second. Amid the rather solemn atmosphere, I let out a wry chuckle without cause and struck his shoulder.

“From the vantage point of the Orthodox Society, would that not be a preferable outcome?”

“An individual might indeed harbor such a wish.”

I uttered it as a jest, but to consider that there actually existed a scoundrel who desired such a development was slightly stinging.

“Hey, those remarks are a bit uncharitable….”

“But I harbor no such desire. I genuinely wish for Commander Jin to remain alongside us for a lengthy duration.”

His visage grew more earnest than it had ever been. Consequently, he locked eyes with me with unyielding clarity.

“Because I have grown inquisitive. To witness the sort of trail Commander Jin will forge in the days to come.”

Chills erupted at the abrupt, sentimental words. I averted my gaze for no particular reason and barked a retort.

“Then execute the task I assigned you flawlessly. If you, Il-gak, had subdued the Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Bear, I would not have been compelled to gamble with my life, would I?”

“No, in the first place, Commander Jin, who subdues such a monstrosity, is the eccentric o—”

“Cease.”

Exactly as I severed Il-gak’s words to inspect our path once more.

“What are you executing?”

He attempted to offer physical support with a disgruntled look.

“Locomotion is arduous for you, is it not? I shall transport you upon my back.”

“No, transport is one matter. But there is an action to perform prior to that.”

“What….”

I gestured toward the Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Bear.

“???”

Il-gak maintained a look indicating he remained oblivious. Does he fail to comprehend what spoils to harvest because he was reared in opulence within Shaolin? I tell you, those fellows who matured devoid of scarcity are of little utility.

“We endured the hardship of slaying it, so we must extract the internal pill.”

“……”

“What stays your hand?”

“……Are you mandating that a monk slice open the abdomen of a beast?”

Ah, was that perhaps slightly excessive? Yet what alternative remained? I genuinely lacked the vitality to stir. I rolled my shoulders.

“At this present juncture, are you not Il-gak of the Sa-hwal-dan’s 1st Squad, rather than Il-gak of the Orthodox Society?”

“……”

“Then the hierarchy of command takes precedence, correct?”

“A moment ago you asserted….”

“Simply view it as rendering assistance in my stead. The internal pill belongs to me regardless.”

I cannot articulate how grateful I was that Il-gak was the individual who returned. Had any other rogue arrived, they surely would have demanded a portion.

—

An internal pill did not materialize from within the Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Bear’s abdomen. Not even an internal pill matching the dimensions of a thumbnail existed.

“……Curse it, curse it, curse it.”

Because I refused to credit reality, I commanded him to extract all the viscera and investigated anew from the inception, yet in the finale, no internal pill manifested.

“Dammit, dammit, dammit.”

I even harbored a fleeting suspicion as to whether Il-gak had surreptitiously consumed the internal pill, but—

“Namu Amitabha….”

There was no alteration in Il-gak. Furthermore, his limbs were drenched in gore; had he ingested it covertly, evidence would remain.

“Amitabha.”

“Hold your tongue!”

“Commander Jin is raising his voice further. Pray cease the profanity. A person’s tendencies are sculpted in accordance with the phrases they repeatedly utter…keys”

“Would you not harbor bitterness? I wagered my existence to conquer the Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Bear, and not even a thumbnail-sized internal pill emerged. Is this some farce?!”

“It is entirely the profound intent of the Buddha….”

“Refrain from evoking the Buddha at this instant! I feel as though I might even harbor resentment toward the literal Buddha.”

“……”

In honesty, I desired to scrutinize it even if it required remaining awake through the night, but I could squander no further time. Because I remained ignorant of what perils might befall the Sa-hwal-dan if I lingered apart from the cohort any longer than this.

“Commander Jin, pray mount my back.”

Owing to the Sa-hwal-dan clearing the trail as they advanced, retracing their steps was not arduous. In the first instance, had no trail existed, Il-gak would have been incapable of journeying solitary. Even though he was traveling at a considerably rapid pace, I experienced minimal instability. One would anticipate being bounced vertically, but the motion was fluid as though gliding across frost. To think the Vajra Immovable Movement Technique possessed such practical application. Unsurprisingly the Great Pillar of the Central Plains. I was in the midst of being unable to contain my awe for Shaolin’s martial traditions when his velocity diminished slightly.

“What, are you exhausted already?”

Through his glinting skull, a grave tone resonated.

“Who do you surmise they are?”

Was it imperative for him to be weighing that question at this exact moment? This is precisely why one must not grant men leisure to ponder upon a field of conflict, tsk.

“Commander Jin, who do you surmise they are?”

“Well…. Is that of consequence?”

“……”

Currently, being transported is quite cozy, so I possessed no desire to disturb his equilibrium. But.

“Is returning breathing not of greater consequence at this juncture?”

As anticipated, Il-gak’s form commenced a slight tremor. Alongside it, my frame, which had been at ease, also began to jolt incrementally. To think his internal state was manifested in his strides; this is the reason Shaolin’s martial traditions are intricate. A voice as unsteady as his fluctuating heart was perceived.

“Commander Jin…… you comprehend, do you not?”

“Had I comprehended, I would have neutralized them previously.”

“……Commander Jin does not orchestrate affairs in such a manner.”

I perceived him as merely an oblivious counterfeit monk, but he truly is no commonplace fellow. Il-gak’s words were conveyed composedly.

“You comprehend the origin and manipulate the consequence to forge a solution. And the supreme solution that you covet, at that.”

The supreme solution….

“Hence, advancing without even recognizing what the origin is or who the adversary represents—that is uncharacteristic of Commander Jin.”

When had he deciphered me so thoroughly? Even though he conducted himself like a sluggish brute, his intellect was revolving acutely. I pressed down firmly upon his pulsing shoulders.

“There exist instances when such details are required, and instances when they are superfluous.”

Il-gak inquired in a muted tone while bearing my weight.

“……Are you asserting currently is an instance when it is superfluous?”

“It is not as though the adversary will show leniency simply because we recognize their lineage.”

I attempted to dismiss it, but Il-gak’s form began to oscillate even more turbulently. Heavens, I am not even aboard a vessel, yet I might experience motion sickness.

“Cease the pointless musings, if you please. I am an afflicted individual.”

“……”

The shaking abated somewhat, but it remained an un-steadied stride. Why does he harbor so many anxieties? Was his temperament originally distinct from this? In my previous existence, he was naught but a tool who operated precisely as the Orthodox Society dictated.

“Is it…… perhaps due to the Murim Alliance?”

What was this regarding now?

“Are you apprehensive that the Murim Alliance will employ them to advance their own objectives?”

Although he was eclipsed by Il-myeong, Il-gak was likewise an essential and prominent figure within the Orthodox Society. He was additionally a being who operated precisely as the Orthodox Society dictated. But of late, he had commenced harboring dissenting notions regarding his own collective, the Orthodox Society. For what earthly reason?

“There is no manner by which Commander Jin remained blind to what I perceived.”

“Articulate it so I might comprehend…keys”

“Demonic energy.”

“……!”

“What they utilized was demonic energy, was it not?”

Il-gak should not have encountered a demon previously. Il-gak’s strides, which had been decelerating, ultimately ground to a halt.

“Every instance I confront them, the repulsive sensation persists. Even though I lack the intent, I find myself reciting the Muscle-Tendon Changing Classic in my mind, and when I regard those individuals, I perceive nothing save them being corrupted in charcoal-hue from vertex to base.”

“……”

“There is no manner by which Commander Jin, who cultivated the Jade Clear Heaven-Ascending Power, would fail to perceive this.”

In truth, this fellow is likewise a predator masquerading as prey. Or rather, has he transformed into a predator?

“They are…… adherents of the Demonic Cult, are they not?”

In a scenario where he had deduced this volume, I speculated whether any rationale existed to conceal it further. I countered without hesitation.

“Yes. I hold that view as well.”

“!”

Il-gak snapped his gaze around toward me. His eyes were dilated like a startled beast’s. If he had anticipated it, why was he so startled? At his oppressive stare, I leisurely redirected his head back to the front.

“But what of it? Does aught alter simply because we acknowledge their identity?”

“H-however….”

“Why? If I inform the academy disciples that the Demonic Cult, which has remained concealed for five centuries, has emerged to hunt us as offerings, will the youths harvest a hundredfold more fortitude?”

“……”

Il-gak’s scalp twitched. He must surely be weighing the matter. Even so, I wished he would simply resume moving now. I was anxious regarding the others. But he was quite a dogged mortal.

“That is not what you are genuinely anxious about, is it?”

Il-gak’s tone dropped deeper and weightier than ever before.

“……Do you truly possess so meager a measure of faith in the Murim Alliance?”

The Murim Alliance, the Murim Alliance…. Ha, I have listened and listened, but I genuinely cannot tolerate hearing it further.

“Why are you conflating everything into the Murim Alliance?”

“……”

“If you desire a confrontation with reality, execute it properly. Or simply continue existing as a tool feigning ignorance as you have performed until this hour; why do you not simply choose one of the two?”

It was hypocritical. To be forced to direct such biting remarks to the individual whose back I was currently utilizing, to the one from whom I was accepting aid. Nonetheless, because my recollections never dissolve, his bygone self merged with his present self, and I could not govern my passions.

“What I mind is the Orthodox Society. Likewise the White Faction, and the 12 Peaks Stars are identical. It was invariably them who exploited the adversary for statecraft.”

“……Not the entirety of the Orthodox Society is comprised of such elements.”

“If you maintained that certainty, you should not have employed the phrase ‘Murim Alliance’ in lieu of ‘Orthodox Society’.”

Even witnessing his dropped shoulders and lowered head, my commentary did not cease. Because faint-hearted individuals who fail to make a determination eventually merely get carried away by the sentiment of the collective.

“The ones who perpetrated villainous acts while adopting the guise of the ‘Demonic Cult’ in Yueyang were the Jeom-chang Sect. Naturally, it was broadcast to the realm as the transgression of peripheral lineages.”

At the reality spilling from my lips, Il-gak could articulate nothing.

“When even occurrences of that nature were frequent even when the ‘genuine’ article did not exist….”

He harbored skepticism toward the Orthodox Society, yet he still could not abandon it. Hence, I could only force him to confront actuality.

“What do you envision will transpire once the ‘genuine’ article manifests?”

The identical turmoil as my bygone existence. And the statesmen who would perceive that turmoil as an opening. On account of that, the Murim Alliance would be incapable of reacting properly, and innumerable helpless individuals would be immolated. To evade replicating the identical past, I had invested all that ceaseless exertion until this hour.

“Then…… do you intend to conceal it?”

“Who uttered a word regarding concealment? At the absolute minimum, no phrases that would invite panic will depart from my lips. Furthermore, I possess no intention of disregarding anyone who attempts to exploit this turmoil as an opening.”

“……”

I had been journeying pleasantly until now, and then he had to pose a pointless inquiry. I assume it would be slightly inappropriate to continue borrowing his back in this state, correct?

“Deposit me. I shall proceed on foot from this point.”

“N-no. Let us advance again.”

Il-gak’s form shifted once more. It remained un-steadied. It was as though he was attempting to behave as though naught was amiss, but that was likewise entirely clumsy. Fearing I might regurgitate if we persisted in this manner, I finally delivered one concluding remark.

“Simply consider a single objective, identical to when you associated with the Sa-hwal-dan. Not what is advantageous to your order or the collective, but what determination can preserve the greatest number of souls.”

“Is that not ultimately what you desire?”

“……”

There was no rejoinder, but somehow the minute tremors dissolved. In truth, he requires a great deal of management.

—

Whether we had lingered excessively or the cohort had marched industriously, it required quite a bit longer to merge back with the Sa-hwal-dan.

“Deposit me now.”

“No. Your physical form has not mended yet, so…keys”

“If the Commander cannot even advance properly, will the determination to battle be sustained?”

“Ah….”

Il-gak, who cautiously lowered me to the earth, inspected my frame in every crevice and corner. Then, his gaze widened.

“What is this….”

“Why? Is there a significant wound somewhere?”

I scanned my physique, wondering if there was an injury I remained oblivious to.

“It is not that…… the injuries have knit.”

“Knit?”

I separated my mangled martial garments and scrutinized the lacerations. The critical wounds near my upper limbs, which had been bordering on shreds, were nearly all sealed. I had persisted in circulating the Internal Injury Healing technique through respiration, but there had lacked sufficient duration to mend. Even had there been duration, it had merely been sufficient to trail behind the Sa-hwal-dan. An almost unnatural restorative capacity. This was akin to….

‘The Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Bear….’

That monstrous restorative capacity entered my thoughts. Had I mended while utilizing the Blue Dragon Bead? Il-gak questioned with an apprehensive countenance.

“Is something amiss?”

I redirected the dialogue as though it were inconsequential.

“Just as a precaution, I surreptitiously consumed the bear gall, and it appears that was potent.”

“B-bear gall?”

“It is a bear. Naturally, I had to harvest the bear gall.”

In reality, the bear gall was actually nestled within my garments. Il-gak persisted in murmuring with an incredulous look, “Uncooked ingestion…… and the uncooked ingestion of a freshly dispatched beast at that.” Serendipitously, the mending of my injuries transpired in that manner.

After sprinting a bit further, I commenced perceiving the proximity of mortals. As Il-gak and I neared watchfully, the personnel of the 8th Squad, who were managing the rear guard, observed us and hailed us.

“Co—Commander! The Commander has made his return!”

“Truly?”

“He outlasted this?!”

“By what means did you achieve it!”

As though they had actually anticipated my demise, vehement salutations (?) returned from all quadrants.

“Do not disrupt the alignment, you simpletons.”

I unleashed a roar, but the academy disciples hemmed me in and possessed no intention of departing.

“Commander! Are you unharmed?”

“I believed you were genuinely deceased this time!”

“For what reason on earth does the commander occupy the absolute vanguard!!”

Only after uttering a remark apiece did they retreat to the alignment. Witnessing those spectacles, a grin emerged without cause.

“Then persist in your fine efforts.”

Subsequently, I was on the verge of advancing forward when one member gripped my shoulder.

“Do you intend to proceed to the vanguard once more?”

“Because I must carve the path.”

At my placid rejoinder, pressure intensified within the member’s palm.

“……Then accept this at the minimum.”

He extracted a lengthy mantle from his pack and transferred it to me.

“Because it is challenging to discern if what you are sporting currently is a shred or raiment.”

Well, it was likewise peculiar to persist in wearing this.

“I shall sport it well.”

Thereafter, as I attempted to filter through the alignment, the academy disciples all shifted aside one stride. Then, every instance Il-gak and I advanced forward, they would utter a word.

“Simply direct this time. Do not compel us to nearly lose the commander on two occasions.”

“Do you imagine we can battle with tranquility of intellect if the commander is absent!”

“I gathered earlier that we are nearly clear. Now that the Demonic Realm is bypassed, you can cease overtaxing yourself. You have executed enough, as much as you pledged.”

Manifestly from distinct orders and alliances. Individuals who had monitored and guarded against one another. But currently. For some rationale, it felt as though warmth had saturated the interval between them. I marched mutely, perceiving that warmth enveloping my entire frame. Surpassing those who addressed me and those who merely dispatched gazes, I gained the 5th Squad where my associates resided.

“……”

Everyone beheld me, but they did not extend salutations like the remaining academy disciples. However, the looks they dispatched appeared so intricate that I could not easily speak either. Ultimately, what I selected was to vacate the position. My pristine station was at the vanguard regardless. Just as I was about to stir my strides in that manner.

“……**Dae-sa-hyeong**.”

Sa-ryeon hailed me.

“Pray, do not compel me to dispatch grim intelligence to the Outer Hall Master.”

“……”

“You can…… execute that, correct?”

Trepidation and dread were conveyed through her minutely vibrating tone. The sole phrase I could articulate currently was this.

“Dismiss your worries. That will never transpire.”

Sa-ryeon, and the remainder, appended no further remarks. When I gained the front line once more after circumventing the academy disciples, those who observed me emitted a breath.

“In truth, you are the most deplorable commander.”

“If it is a detachment of this nature, I never desire to be associated with it again.”

“Why? If it concerned me, I would desire to execute it anew.”

Somehow, the academy disciples were venting grievances. And Yang-ja-pyeong greeted me.

“It brings comfort, at least. That I can convey positive intelligence to the Commander.”

“Positive intelligence?”

“We have nearly arrived.”

At those words, my eyes snapped open.

“Arrived?”

“Yes. It represents the termination of the Demonic Realm.”

At last, we had finally arrived. After marching for roughly another *sik-gyeong*, the vitality of the spiritual veins distinctly abated. Contrasted even to the Muk-rim, let alone the Demonic Realm, the vitality of the spiritual veins was trivial. The environmental arrays had also long since vanished. When a further *sik-gyeong* had elapsed, we were capable of escaping from the Muk-rim as well.

We had finally broken free from the Muk-rim, which we had craved so intensely, but no individual released a shout yet. Because our ultimate objective was to break through the adversary’s ring of confinement. Only after navigating the concluding barrier, the Gourd-shaped Valley, could we be at tranquility.

“Hold.”

In front of the passageway corresponding to the constriction point in the center, I halted the Sa-hwal-dan’s column for a brief period. According to Yang-ja-gyeong’s assertions, if the adversary was encircling us, they would be immediately beyond this. I shuttered my vision and scrutinized the interior of my frame. For some rationale, as I marched, my mending grew accelerated and accelerated, and greater than half of my physique had mended. In a fashion, escaping across the Demonic Realm might have yielded a beneficial outcome. The complication was whether it could conclude with a beneficial outcome until the absolute finale.

‘We were sufficiently rapid. Those fellows who bypassed to evade the Demonic Realm will be incapable of arriving prior to us, no matter how much they hasten.’

The instant we crossed into the Demonic Realm, those fellows’ strategy collapsed. If so, rather than fruitlessly pursuing us and compounding the casualties, it would be preferable for them to concede and retreat to conceal their footprints.

‘……I am being incredibly positive. Since when did I view the realm so sanguinely?’

Even I consider it preposterous. In the first instance, had they been fellows who reasoned logically like that, they would not have harbored the demented notion of dominating the Central Plains. Hence, I confront only the realities dispassionately.

‘We sprinted with our utmost.’

And I execute a stride. As customary, toward the vanguard.

*Thud— Thud— Thud—keys*

I radiated the energy-perception of my dantian and swept the zone ahead. No matter who occupied it, I merely had to perform as I did when navigating through the Muk-rim. Those fellows’ strategy had already collapsed. Now that we had advanced this distance, their lineage would be revealed to the Central Plains. At that flash.

*Halt.*

A malicious impression was captured at the boundary of my energy-perception. As I ascended a minor mound, an expansive clearing beneath came into view.

‘Dammit…….’

My calculation was only roughly half precise. As anticipated, those fellows were incapable of establishing a ring of confinement because they were forced to skirt the Demonic Realm. But.

*Step.*

It was not that *every soul* failed to outstrip us. As I halted upon the mound and peeked beneath, three separate entities with their own distinct traits were positioned there.

“To think you genuinely navigated through that place….”

I scrutinized the countenances of the three individuals. The fellow lingering in the center was someone I had encountered recently.

‘That maniac who attempted to slaughter the Big Dipper Swordsman while searching for some band.’

I recognized not the female lingering on the left, but the man on the right….

“He is nothing short of grotesque. Is he a jiangshi?”

Disparate layers of skin from the visage, hands, and feet appeared to have been affixed onto mangled raiment. Furthermore, on account of the indications of being stitched together, he appeared even more grotesque.

“Kikiki, do you genuinely remain ignorant? Or are you feigning ignorance?”

The female and the man in the center chuckled as though something was highly amusing, and the jiangshi-like man shuddered universally. Now that I reflect upon it, he appears recognizable.

‘Recognizable……?’

One of the faculties I lack—no, cannot lack. Because I possessed absolute recollection, ambiguous recollections did not exist in the first place. Barring unique instances like Mo-yong-sang-won. But to think he is ‘recognizable.’

At that flash. A colossal homicidal intent erupted from the Cloth Man’s frame. Subsequently, he—

“Jin— So— un—”

Invoked my name with a terrifying metallic resonance.