Chapter 141
In my life, I had never once seen Gongcheongseokyu.
Gongcheongseokyu was a Supreme Elixir that was hard to lay eyes on even for a single moment in one’s lifetime.
However, I did know some fragmentary information about it.
Such as how eating it could grant a massive amount of Internal Power, or how it could turn someone into a Master all at once.
And…
Such as how it had a milky white color or how it gave off a sweet, entrancing scent…
“…”
A white liquid with a sweet, entrancing scent…
“…Huh?”
…Isn’t this it?
When I uttered a foolish sound, Dongryong-i and the Haomun Leader tilted their heads and approached me.
“Leader, what is it?”
“Great Hero, what is the matter?”
When they asked, I hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“This thing in my hand… I think it might be Gongcheongseokyu?”
“…Pardon?”
“…?”
As soon as they heard my words, the two of them wore the same foolish expressions I did.
And then…
“Whaaaaaaat-?!!”
…The first to snap out of it and react was Dongryong.
“Th-this is Gongcheongseokyu? The elixir that can fix Bang Sam-i’s dantian? B-but why is it in the Leader’s hands?”
“I-I don’t know, fuck…”
I just stole what Cheon Ye-Seo had on her…?
No, I originally stole it thinking it was a Tonic. But for it to be Gongcheongseokyu, what kind of jackpot was this?
‘This is why it’s important to make kleptomania a daily habit.’
Marveling at my own sleight of hand once again, I threw my arm around Dongryong-i’s shoulders.
“Leader…! Anyway, as long as we have this, Bang Sam-i can…!”
“Kyahaha-! Yeah, you punk! As long as we have this…!”
Don’t they say all roads lead to Rome? This was almost like stumbling backwards into an Otherworld, but anyway, the goal was achieved.
As Dongryong-i and I rejoiced like that, the Haomun Leader asked me this time in a questioning voice.
“Um…, Great Hero. First of all, it’s good that we possess what appears to be Gongcheongseokyu. However…”
“However?”
“Did you not also request Gongcheongseokyu from the Murim Alliance? Even the Murim Alliance wouldn’t have more than one Priceless Treasure like Gongcheongseokyu, so what will you do about that?”
“Ah…”
Only then did I remember that I had put forth Gongcheongseokyu as a negotiation condition to the Murim Alliance.
Even in the Original Novel, there was only one Gongcheongseokyu in the entire world.
If so…
‘Could it be that the Demonic Cult Bastards stole it along with the Heavenly Demon Sword from the Murim Alliance’s Secret Vault?’
A rather reasonable guess formed in my head.
If the Demonic Cult Bastards stole Gongcheongseokyu together with the Heavenly Demon Sword, that meant the Murim Alliance didn’t have Gongcheongseokyu left either…
‘What are they going to do?’
But, well…
“Is that my problem? Ah, well, the Murim Alliance will figure it out.”
Even though I was curious about how they would handle this situation, I wasn’t worried in the slightest.
“No, isn’t this actually better?”
Just what would the Murim Alliance bastards bring us as a price instead of the missing Gongcheongseokyu?
Just thinking about it made me feel like laughing even while standing still.
* * *
A few days later.
“Uh-! Look at the sky!”
“It’s Lord Imugi! Lord Imugi has returned!”
“Huh? On his head?!”
I was able to arrive in the familiar Hunan Province.
“It’s the Leader-!!”
“The Leader has returned! Wahh-!”
After briefly accepting the cheers of my subordinates, I immediately took all the executives and headed toward Bang Sam-i.
“Leader!”
“Yeah, Bongchun, Jeokyeom. It’s been a while. Let’s see Bangsam first.”
“Then, could it be…!”
When Bongchun-i asked with a trembling jaw, I took out the Gongcheongseokyu from my chest pocket and showed it to him.
“I brought it, the elixir to fix Bang Sam-i’s body.”
“…!”
Hearing my words, Bongchun-i flinched. And soon…
“Whaaaaaaa-!!”
“The Leader brought the elixir to save Elder Brother Bang Sam-i’s dantian-!!”
…He shouted along with the other subordinates and rejoiced greatly.
Together with the rejoicing subordinates, I headed to Bang Sam-i’s room.
From what I heard, he had worked late at the Entrance Pavilion yesterday and is resting now.
“Oh! Elder Brother!! You’re here early?! Did you get the Gongcheongseokyu?”
“Of course I did. You come along too. I’ll show you something interesting.”
We became quite a crowd with the Youngest, who had just returned from patrol duty, and the other subordinates, as we immediately entered Bang Sam-i’s room.
“Wh-what is this… Um, Leader?”
Bangsam looked at the crowd entering his room with flustered eyes, then looked bewildered when he saw me standing in the center.
“Y-you came earlier than expected. Does that mean, by any chance…”
“Yeah, Bangsam. I brought it.”
I proudly thrust the gourd containing the Gongcheongseokyu in front of Bang Sam-i’s slightly dazed face.
“It’s the elixir to fix your body.”
“Ah…”
‘Eh?’
However, even when I showed him the Gongcheongseokyu, Bangsam didn’t show any signs of great joy.
At this, I couldn’t help but be flustered.
‘His reaction is a bit lukewarm…?’
For a Martial Artist to live as a cripple comes with a tremendous sense of loss. Since there is almost no way to fix a damaged dantian, it completely strips away even hope.
But in that despairing situation, if the Leader brought an elixir to fix the dantian, he would naturally have been happy.
I thought Bangsam would be so happy he’d dance, but in reality, Bangsam was just calm.
He lowered his head for a moment before continuing.
“If it can fix a shattered dantian, isn’t it an incredible elixir? Gongcheongseokyu… I’ve heard the name before too. Do I even dare to consume such an elixir… It would be better for the Leader to take it and grow their strength…”
“What, that was the reason?”
I wondered what it was. It was just a feeling of burden or something?
“Hey, you bastard. Did your personality change just because you became a cripple? Why have you become so timid? Hey, just shut up and open your mouth. Fuck. Your Leader went through all sorts of trouble to bring this, and you’re whining, you little shit.”
“…Still.”
“Enough. If you don’t eat this, I’m just going to throw it on the floor, so choose. Are you going to eat it, or not?”
Swish-.
As if to show I wasn’t lying, I actually pointed the hand holding the Gongcheongseokyu downward, and only then did Bangsam wave his hands in a panic and nod.
“A-alright. I’ll eat it.”
“Good.”
Having received Bang Sam-i’s definite answer, I immediately kicked the subordinates out of the room and ordered them.
“From now on, Bangsam will consume the elixir, so you guys stand as Dharma Protectors outside. Don’t let anyone in.”
“Yes!”
After finishing the preparations just in case, I immediately handed the gourd containing the Gongcheongseokyu to Bang Sam-i.
“Eat it.”
“…”
“Don’t worry too much and just focus on Circulating Qi and Regulating Breath. I’ll help you.”
Bangsam received the Gongcheongseokyu from me, hesitated for a moment, and spoke.
“…Thank you, Leader. I already owe you many favors, Leader… but I truly won’t forget this grace even after I die.”
“…”
No, why is this bastard raising a Death Flag…
Taking an elixir beyond one’s capacity, suffering from Qi Deviation, and dying was a more common occurrence than one might think.
Thanks to that, I placed my hand on Bang Sam-i’s back with a slightly tense heart. And as soon as my hand touched him, Bangsam immediately…
Gulp.
…opened the gourd and swallowed the Gongcheongseokyu.
The presence of the Gongcheongseokyu was so immense that I could feel it traveling down Bang Sam-i’s esophagus through my hand.
Paaaa-!
At the same time, I felt a massive energy spreading out from within Bang Sam-i’s body.
‘This is crazy.’
An amount of Internal Strength that surprised even me exploded with a pop at the same time; I raised my tension to the extreme.
The important part started now.
I pushed the purest energy of the Gongcheongseokyu into Bang Sam-i’s shattered dantian while simultaneously starting to help Bangsam with Circulating Qi to lose as little of the Gongcheongseokyu’s spiritual energy as possible.
* * *
A day passed, but even then, the Leader and Bangsam did not come out of the room.
“This… could something have gone wrong…”
“Deputy Leader.”
When Dongryong-i muttered words of concern, the Haomun Leader beside him briefly reprimanded him.
“Words have a way of coming true. Do not say such negative things.”
“Even so…”
“There is no way it would take a short time to consume and circulate a Supreme Elixir like Gongcheongseokyu. Let us relax our minds a bit and wait.”
“If the Haomun Leader says so…”
Dongryong-i let out a sigh at the Haomun Leader’s words and soon nodded.
It was then.
Slide-.
“…!”
Soon, a presence was heard from inside Bang Sam-i’s room, which had been motionless. At this, the Haomun Leader and Dongryong-i turned their heads at the same time…
“Ughhh…”
“Leader-!”
“Great Hero!”
…and they were soon faced with Muyeon stepping outside with a gait like a Jiangshi they had met before.
Thud.
Muyeon stepped out the door and collapsed onto the floor just like that.
Seeing that sight, Dongryong-i and the Haomun Leader asked in surprise.
“Leader!”
“Great Hero!”
“B-by any chance, did it f-fail…”
“…”
The Haomun Leader flinched at Dongryong-i’s words.
It was understandable to think so, considering the absorption time was later than expected, and Muyeon, who had helped with Circulating Qi, looked like a complete mess.
However…
“What do you mean, fail…”
“…Pardon?”
…Hearing their conversation, Muyeon, who had collapsed on the floor, muttered something.
“…As if that could happen. I helped with Circulating Qi…”
“Then…!”
Dongryong-i and the Haomun Leader turned their heads only after hearing those words.
And…
“Bangsam-!”
…they faced Bang Sam-i stepping outside with a slightly bewildered aura.
Drop.
With that scene as the end, Muyeon, having exhausted all his energy, went limp and fainted.
* * *
Snap.
“…”
An unfamiliar ceiling? No, it’s not. It’s my room’s ceiling.
“Ughhh…”
My whole body felt stiff and achy as if I had cramps everywhere; it seemed I had been lying down for a long time.
As I groaned and got up from my spot, someone spoke to me.
“You’re awake, Leader.”
When I looked to see who it was…
“…Is that you, Bangsam?”
“Yes, Leader.”
…There was a Bang Sam-i with a slightly unfamiliar face.
I had confirmed that Bang Sam-i’s dantian was fixed. But because I fainted right after, I couldn’t check all the effects of the Gongcheongseokyu.
But looking at Bang Sam-i’s face now…
“Hmm… did you get a little more handsome?”
…He had changed.
Come to think of it, his bone structure had broadened a bit, and his physique seemed larger too.
If so…
“…The effects of the Gongcheongseokyu didn’t just stop at fixing your dantian.”
“…It seems that way.”
Curious about Bang Sam-i’s answer, I asked.
“Right, did your Internal Energy increase then?”
“Yes, but still… my Internal Energy didn’t increase as much as I thought it would. Instead…”
“Instead?”
When I asked back, Bangsam hesitated a bit before opening his mouth.
“It’s like… I can see things I couldn’t see before…”
“…?”
When I heard those words, only one word popped into my head.
‘Hua Realm…?’
However, I soon shook my head.
The realm I feel from Bangsam right now has too severe a gap to be called the Hua Realm.
Then what did it mean? It meant that he could now see things he couldn’t see before…
“…”
“…?”
Come to think of it, Bangsam was looking at me as if he were looking at something slightly unfamiliar.
No, to be exact, it was more like he was looking at something behind my back rather than me, even though there was obviously nothing behind me.
‘Is this bastard seeing ghosts or something…?’
Flinching for a moment, I was about to ask Bangsam about this but stopped.
‘Well… he’ll tell me on his own when the time comes. He looks confused right now too, anyway.’
And the important thing was that his dantian was fixed anyway, wasn’t it?
Thinking it was a relief that things worked out well no matter what, I got up from my spot.
“Ughhh… Ah, I’m stiff. Bangsam, how long have I been sleeping?”
“About four days.”
And hearing Bang Sam-i’s words, I ended up freezing.
“…Huh? Four days?”
“Yes. I really thought you fixed my dantian and just dropped dead, Elder Brother.”
“Seeing how this son of a bitch talks, he’s already forgotten my grace.”
Anyway, if I slept for four days, I must have been incredibly exhausted without realizing it. The battle with the Demonic Cult Bastards probably played a part too.
But aside from the fact that I slept for four days, there was one more surprising piece of news waiting for me…
“Ah, and someone from the Murim Alliance came yesterday.”
“Eh? Already?”
…Someone from the Murim Alliance had come much faster than I expected.