Chapter 137 – Fateful Encounter (2)

Thanks to Lady Sama’s small enlightenment, I was able to reproduce what I had gained for the first time in the midst of trials and tribulations, and I devoted myself to training like a madman.

It felt like forgotten memories were coming back one by one, like a row of dominoes falling down one by one, starting with Hyeongsacheon-gun.

I clung to ambiguous sensations like a maniac to not miss anything.

So, about a month passed.

There was also significant progress in martial arts, and I found something to try in Mosanpa, so I received a letter asking me to visit again when I was free.

Everything was going well.

I trained all day in the training ground, Sama and Mo-nyeo were busy installing the formation, Hong Yeon-hwa was making dumplings and causing a commotion in the kitchen, and Paeng So-so was crying out “Paeaeaeaeaeang” and living peaceful and happy days.

However, as always in life, problems always arose unexpectedly.

It was during the time when I was watching Hong Yeon-hwa’s chest while sitting on her lap and watching Paeng So-so’s strip show.

“Doctor! Wake up the doctor from the Medicine Hall right now!!”

An urgent voice echoed through the Paengga in the middle of the night.

It was clear that a considerable expert had shouted with a lot of inner strength, even though there was a considerable distance from the main gate to Paeng So-so’s room.

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know.”

I tilted my head, and Paeng So-so followed me and tilted her head in the same direction.

Hong Yeon-hwa, without saying a word, closed her eyes and concentrated.

“Umm?”

She started to mutter in a strange voice, tilting her head in the same direction as us.

“I’ve never felt it before, but there’s a weak feeling, and there’s a familiar feeling I’ve felt somewhere… Ah!”

As if she had realized something, Hong Yeon-hwa jumped up with a scream and landed on her knees.

“I remember now! This is the feeling of the Baekho Danju!”

“Baekho Danju…?”

“Your father?!”

Our voices overlapped.

Paeng Cheol-jin, the leader of the Baekho Dan, one of the four major martial arts organizations in the Mureungmaeng, and the first to chase Cheok-an-geum-gwi, which became the catalyst for the awakening of Muryeong Shingong.

When I happened to find out that I had defeated Cheok-an-geum-gwi, he gave me a recommendation letter from the Yongbongji Society along with a strange medicine.

Why is he here?

Well, he belongs to the Mureungmaeng, and he’s from the Paengga, so it’s not strange for him to come here…

“Let’s go quickly. If my father is so flustered, it must be a big deal!”

Paeng So-so put on her clothes halfway.

She was right. After all, Paeng Cheol-jin was her family, and she had received help from him before. It was enough reason to rush over immediately.

Nodding my head, I removed my hand from Hong Yeon-hwa’s collarbone.

***

The place was filled with the pungent smell of medicinal herbs and the nauseating smell of medicinal soup, poking at my nose.

Paeng Cheol-jin’s presence, who had been running non-stop, stopped in front of the Medicine Hall.

Elders, officials, chefs, and even servants who had nothing to do with martial arts were gathered there. We were a little late, and many people had already gathered.

Among them, the most noticeable was definitely Geohan, wearing clothes with the symbol of the Mureungmaeng engraved on them.

His back was as straight as a pine tree, but the confidence I felt when I first met him in the medical room was nowhere to be found.

Paeng So-so ran towards him, who was shriveled up like a soaked cotton.

“Father!”

“…So-so?”

He flinched for a moment, slowly turning around with a trembling voice. I couldn’t see it from behind, but his robe was covered in dried blood.

Paeng So-so screamed at the sight of him covered in blood.

“Kyaaa! Father! Where are you hurt?! You need to go to the Medicine Hall right away…!”

“Don’t worry, So-so. This isn’t my blood. I’m fine.”

“What? Wait a minute.”

Paeng So-so, who stopped in front of Paeng Cheol-jin, stared at him with disbelief. And then, after confirming that he wasn’t hurt anywhere, she let out a sigh of relief.

“Ha…thank goodness. Oh? Does that mean someone else got hurt and they’re asking the doctors to wake up?”

“….”

Paeng Cheol-jin was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded his head.

“Yes. Don’t be surprised and come with me.”

“Yes, sir.”

It was a strange atmosphere. Paeng So-so responded with an uneasy attitude, and Paeng Cheol-jin opened his mouth with a voice full of frustration.

“Ji-hyuk was seriously injured during this inspection. It’s not just an external injury, but he suffered a serious internal injury and his life is in danger.”

“Oh, oh my god…!”

Paeng So-so’s face turned pale. The moment she put strength into her body as if she was going to rush into the Medicine Hall right away.

But Paeng Cheol-jin was one step ahead and blocked her way.

“Calm down, So-so! My brother just went into the Taeyangdan with the doctors. He’s undergoing Jin-gido to treat his injuries, so we can’t disturb him. We have to wait for now…we have to wait.”

Paeng Cheol-jin said that, but he himself couldn’t stay still. However, he wanted to make sure that his message was conveyed properly, so he lowered his head and stopped in front of Paeng So-so.

I wonder how surprised she was. She couldn’t even breathe properly, so I approached her and gently patted her back.

Then, Paeng So-so half-collapsed and started to cry while hugging me.

“Jin Gaga… Father… Father….”

“It’s okay. Everything will be okay.”

I hugged Paeng So-so a little tighter and asked Hong Yeon-hwa in a low voice.

“Is there anything we can do? Your martial arts skills are higher than even Master Jang’s when it comes to cultivation.”

“My cultivation was achieved through martial arts, not medicine. Of course, I am proficient in blood circulation and Jin-gido, so I can provide emergency treatment for internal injuries, but…”

“But what? Isn’t there anything we can do to improve his condition even a little bit?”

“That’s not necessarily the case. Even if my cultivation is high, I don’t know the Simbeop of the Paeng family. If it’s about healing injuries, the Paeng family’s Simbeop would be more helpful than me.”

“Oh.”

In the end, we did everything we could do, just as Paeng Cheol-jin said.

As I was talking with Hong Yeon-hwa and Paeng So-so, I suddenly felt Paeng Cheol-jin’s gaze on me.

“Ah, it’s been a while, Baekho-danju-nim.”

“I heard about you from my brother, but I didn’t know you were the Samjae Geomryong. Wait a minute. Is the woman next to you the same one from back then?”

“Cough, cough. Since So-so seems to be quite surprised, why don’t we talk about that story a little later?”

Oh, come to think of it, Hong Yeon-hwa pretended to be the daughter of a Pungyu Sangdangju to get compensation for my medical expenses last time.

Ignoring Paeng Cheol-jin’s gaze, which seemed to have a lot to say, we continued to talk for a while.

Just as Paeng So-so was finally calming down, the door to the Medicine Hall, which had been tightly closed, opened, and a tired-looking Paeng O-jin appeared.

“Oh? Everyone’s gathered here. Don’t worry. We’ve somehow overcome the crisis, so you can go back and rest easy.”

At Paeng Cheol-jin’s words, the people who had gathered around the Medicine Hall began to disperse.

The only ones left were the elder representative, the remaining Iljangro, Paeng Cheol-jin, and our group.

“Those who are left, come in here.”

Paeng O-jin turned around again. As if he was still uneasy, he took So-so, who was clinging to my arm, and went inside.

Creak.

A spacious room with a mat in the center. Inside, a man with a handsome face was sleeping soundly.

“Ji-hyuk!”

“Father!”

Not only the trembling Iljangro, but also Paeng So-so, who had just calmed down, rushed to his side. This time, even Paeng Cheol-jin didn’t stop them.

The pale complexion and bandages covering over 80% of his upper body revealed the severity of his injuries. However, it was a relief to see that Paeng Ji-hyuk’s expression was peaceful. His breathing was thin, but regular, indicating that he had passed the critical stage.

“Oh, Father! What happened? Didn’t you say you went out for an inspection? Why…”

“So-so…”

Paeng O-jin hesitated for a moment before speaking with a serious expression.

“The inspection was correct. After hearing that you were almost captured by Nokrimdo, we cooperated with the Muryeongmaeng to search the entire northern region. Ji-hyuk was in charge of it.”

“…What?”

Except for us, it seemed like everyone else knew the story, and the elder representative nodded his head.

“We know that. However, they sent an excessive amount of force to show Nokrim, who dared to target the women of the Paeng family, what they were up against. If it weren’t for the fact that Nokbu had already developed dementia, they would have sent half of Hoadae’s troops.”

“They definitely did that. However, I don’t know the exact details.”

All eyes turned to Paeng Cheol-jin without a word. It was natural since Paeng O-jin would have rushed over here just like me when he heard Paeng Cheol-jin’s voice.

Paeng Cheol-jin, who had already sighed several times, opened his mouth with a slightly tired voice.

“I will explain everything. First, let’s talk about the person who made Ji-hyuk like this.”

Silence.

The sound of a needle dropping could be heard. The flames rising in Paeng Cheol-jin’s eyes were as if they were shrouded in fog.

“Nokrim’s leader has moved. They even brought all of their leaders with them.”

…No one in this room had expected this.