Chapter 498
The moment I woke from my long slumber and regained my senses, a thought struck me.
‘Wait… am I still not detoxified?’
My vision was completely black.
But my brief panic quickly faded. Looking up, I spotted the faint light of the moon against the ink-dark sky. With a hoarse voice, I muttered,
“You could’ve at least woken me up before leaving, damn it.”
I had assumed it was still the effects of the Blinding Powder, but it turned out the sun had simply set.
Judging by the time, I must have been unconscious for quite a while. Lying spread-eagle on the ground, staring blankly at the sky, I slowly pushed myself up.
‘What the hell happened?’
I had moved mostly on instinct, and since I had been poisoned and unconscious, I hadn’t actually seen what transpired. Patting my dirt-covered body, I checked myself.
‘No visible injuries… so I must have blocked it somehow.’
I could deduce the result, but the process was hazy. No matter how hard I tried to recall, my memories were nothing more than a foggy blur.
Still, there was one thing I knew for sure.
Ding!
– [Quest: Earn Moon Kyung’s Recognition (Completed)]
– [You have successfully completed the emergency quest: “Fake Martial Artist!”]
– [Quest rewards will be distributed!]
– [You have gained a significant amount of experience!]
– [You have acquired 10 points!]
– [You have achieved the remarkable feat: “Venom Sommelier!”]
– [You have sampled and detoxified over ten types of specially crafted deadly poisons. Your resilience and detoxification ability are commendable!]
– [Your Poison Resistance has greatly increased!]
– [You have achieved the astounding feat: “Wow, You Survived That?”]
– [You have grasped the first hint of enlightenment on the boundary of life and death!]
– [Your Sensory Perception has sharpened. Train further to reach even greater heights!]
– [A follow-up quest, “Fake Martial Artist – Phase 2,” has been generated!]
– [The objective of the follow-up quest will be determined based on Moon Kyung’s future decisions.]
…Damn it.
The notification might as well have been screaming “Congratulations on almost dying!” Rather than feeling accomplished, I was just irritated.
‘A follow-up quest, huh…’
I had expected as much, but that didn’t make it any less nerve-wracking. If Phase 1 required me to dodge an assassin’s strike ‘blindfolded,’ what kind of insane task would Phase 2 throw at me?
At least the rewards were decent.
‘Guess getting my ass kicked was worth it.’
I hadn’t leveled up, but I had gained a considerable amount of experience, and I had recovered the points I lost when I was poisoned by the Seven Steps Soul Scatter.
And then there were… these so-called “achievements.”
‘Who the hell comes up with these names?’
[“Venom Sommelier”] and [“Wow, You Survived That?”].
As annoying as those titles were, the rewards weren’t bad.
The increased poison resistance was obviously a blessing. And while the latter achievement didn’t seem immediately useful, it was a ‘huge’ deal.
‘The first hint of enlightenment.’
For someone like me, who had recently hit a wall, this was more valuable than anything else.
Of course, considering that I had advanced at an insane rate—mastering the pinnacle techniques of the Blazing Flame Sect and consuming rare elixirs on a regular basis—most martial artists would probably label me as a complete fraud.
‘But a wall is still a wall.’
If you asked a second- or third-rate martial artist what they needed to improve, they would almost certainly say martial arts manuals and elixirs.
But for those who had reached the peak—or even surpassed it—their answer would be different.
‘Enlightenment.’
Some waited ten, twenty, even more years for it, yet it still eluded them.
No matter how much they refined their martial arts or consumed powerful elixirs, there was a limit to how far they could go.
If taking elixirs alone could turn someone into a supreme master, then no one would bother training for decades. Martial artists pushed themselves to the brink because that was the only way to surpass their limits.
I had even heard from Gong Gi-bang that some warriors resorted to smoking opium, hoping to expand their ‘mental state’ and force a breakthrough.
When I asked why they would do something so obviously self-destructive, the answer was simple.
– “They know they’ll become addicted.”
– “Then why do they still do it?”
– “Because they’re martial artists.”
A short answer, yet one that explained everything.
Martial artists were ‘that kind’ of people. Willing to do anything to become stronger. Addicted to martial arts. Drunk on power.
And I was no different.
‘I want to be stronger. More, and more.’
Even after gaining more than I had ever imagined, that desire hadn’t changed.
The only real difference between me and the others was my reason.
I wasn’t seeking power ‘for myself’—I wanted it ‘to protect.’
‘If I was satisfied with my current strength, I wouldn’t have accepted Moon Kyung’s training in the first place.’
In that sense, gaining even a glimpse of enlightenment was a ‘massive’ accomplishment.
There was only one minor issue…
“Doctor, I don’t remember anything.”
I had no idea what I had actually done.
Which was just ‘fantastic.’
Seriously, how did I dodge that strike? I had a vague sense of barely avoiding it, but what happened afterward?
‘Maybe I’ll figure it out through training.’
I tried to recall the sensation, but for now, my mind remained clouded in fog.
Sighing, I stood up and dusted off my clothes.
And just then—
Swoosh! BOOM!
A streak of blue fire shot into the night sky and exploded brilliantly.
‘A signal flare?’
Sensing something was going on, I quickly left the training grounds and ran toward the source of the commotion.
Soon, I came across a group of warriors standing guard.
“What’s happening?”
“Ah, Master Jin. You’re finally out.”
A man in patched robes, with two knots tied at his waist, greeted me with a shrug. A Beggar’s Union member—definitely from the Hubei branch.
“Judging by the blue color, we have visitors. We were expecting them, but they’re later than expected.”
“Visitors?”
This wasn’t exactly a tourist destination.
Since this place was treated with such secrecy, I couldn’t think of many people who would bother coming here. The only ones who came to mind were the three factions gathered here or the authorities.
If it were about reinforcing manpower, they wouldn’t have phrased it as “visitors.”
“Where are they from? The Zhuge Family? The Wudang Sect? Oh, maybe the sect leader finally decided to show up?”
“…Excuse me?”
The Beggar’s Union members and the other warriors gave me odd looks as if they were witnessing some strange spectacle.
“What, didn’t you hear me?”
“Hear what?”
“The visitors who are coming.”
“What are you talking about…? Wait, do you know them?”
The beggar warrior nodded at my question and answered.
“Yes. They’re from the Taewon Jin Family.”
“…What?”
Where did you say?
—
Splash! Squelch!
Steady footsteps pressed into the wet sand, reflecting the moonlight upon the river’s surface.
As fifty warriors moved in perfect synchronization, a lone figure walked through their ranks, stopping when their eyes met mine.
“It’s been a while.”
The same sharp gaze, now with even more scars.
I smirked at the familiar face I hadn’t seen in a year.
“You look even more terrifying now. At this point, you should be called Ghost Face, not Ghost Sword.”
“There were plenty of bastards that needed dealing with. As our family’s reach expanded, all sorts of trouble came crawling in.”
“Tell me who they are. I’ll take care of them for you.”
“No need. They’ve already been sent somewhere beyond saving. And besides…”
A smirk formed in his narrowed eyes, his voice carrying both nostalgia and satisfaction.
“There’s no need for a Divine Dragon to concern himself with slaughtering pigs and cattle.”
Ghost Sword Wi Paeng. The right-hand man of Jin Wi-gyeong and my former tormentor during training. He bowed deeply before me.
“Great Taewon Jin Family’s Dragon Division Commander, Wi Paeng, greets the Third Young Master.”
“Greetings to the Third Young Master!”
A thunderous roar shattered the night’s silence.
The warriors standing like iron towers exuded an overwhelming presence, each one bearing the embroidered insignia of ‘Jinryong (Advancing Dragon)’ on their chests.
‘Damn, when did the Taewon Jin Family get this big?’
Not long ago, during the war with Hangsang Sword Sect, we had been tearing our hair out over the lack of top-tier experts. But now, every single one of these Jinryong warriors was at least first-class.
‘Just looking at them is exhilarating. Absolutely thrilling.’
The Taewon Jin Family, once on the decline due to the prolonged absence of the family head, severe manpower shortages, and my own preference for brothels over home, had risen spectacularly.
‘So this is the appeal of raising a clan.’
Just as I was basking in pride while gazing at Wi Paeng and the Jinryong Division, an unwelcome voice broke through.
“Oi, what the hell? Why are you all shouting so damn loud in the middle of the night? You trying to give an old man like me a heart attack?”
Not likely.
The man before me had the physique of a warrior, far from what you’d call fragile.
I studied him closely, and my memory finally clicked.
“Old Iron Fist?”
The former Iron Cavalry Hall Leader, Jang Taebo, scowled.
“Listen to this brat. Do I look like your friend?”
Even though I had risen to an absurd level in just one year, it meant nothing to a stubborn old bastard like Jang Taebo.
Strangely enough, that only made me feel more fond of him.
After all, the man had crafted the ‘Baekyeom’ for me—a weapon that had saved my life countless times.
“Anyway, what brings you here, old man?”
Before Jang Taebo could answer, another voice cut in.
“I personally invited him.”
The murmuring crowd parted to reveal a figure approaching with measured steps.
The moment he emerged, a roar even louder than before echoed through the night.
“Great Taewon Jin Family’s Dragon Division Commander, Wi Paeng, greets our Lord!”
“Loyalty!”
“Enough.”
Under different circumstances, I would have grabbed Wi Paeng’s hands and danced a waltz.
But with countless eyes watching, Jin Wi-gyeong dismissed the formality with a simple wave of his hand, his deep voice carrying unquestionable authority.
“Commander Wi. And Elder Jang. You’ve both traveled far.”
“It was no trouble, my Lord.”
“This old man isn’t worth worrying about, Young Lord.”
Wi Paeng was obviously a trusted right-hand man.
And while Jang Taebo always treated me like some street punk, he was nothing but respectful toward Jin Wi-gyeong.
I had heard he retired long ago, yet it seemed he was still working with the Taewon Jin Family in some capacity.
Putting aside my curiosity, Jin Wi-gyeong continued.
“You must all be tired from the journey. Let us move to a more suitable place.”
That “us” clearly included me.
And it definitely ‘didn’t’ include the idiot currently sprinting toward us.
“Vice Commander of the Jinryong Division, Hyeok Mu-jin! I have just completed my patrol and am now reporting in!”
Patrol, my ass.
If you’re going to lie, at least wipe the sleep from your eyes first, dumbass.