VIP Early Access
Eksklusif untuk member VIP
Password Protected
Chapter ini dikunci dengan kode khusus
Chapter 314. Late Winter's Cutting Wind (2)
A rich, bitter scent wafted from inside the wooden case.
Ordinary......—no, attaching the word "ordinary" to a Spiritual Pill was strange in itself, but regardless.
It was a scent one would never detect from a typical Spiritual Pill.
I couldn't help the skeptical look I gave Sima Jeong.
"Don't like it?"
Е̄ n û m̈ а
"What is this?"
"A Spiritual Pill that only you in all of Taeul Sect can take."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"......The smell—no, the scent is like poison."
I was fairly sure Dang Seo-hui had once used a poison with a similar odor.......
When I furrowed my brow, Sima Jeong nodded.
"For an ordinary warrior, it might as well be poison. Taking it would reduce your inner arts somewhat."
Ẇ е bn ov е̌l Eń ǔm а
Hm? This man was more dangerous than I'd thought. Did he have any idea what I'd gone through to accumulate these inner arts......
"On the other hand, once you take it, you'll never break a bone again."
"My bones won't break?"
Sima Jeong raised an eyebrow, then asked me.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"Have you ever heard of Diamond Honey?"
"Isn't that the stuff that makes you lose weight?"
Е̂ṅu m̂а . i d
Diamond Honey was produced when Blue Flower Bees fed on the sap of centuries-old black ebony trees and made honey from it.
Take it, and you'd mysteriously shed weight as if you were ill.
But since nothing else went wrong aside from losing weight, it was widely used among women for cosmetic purposes.
Lose weight without eating less—what could be better?
The catch was that you had to find a black ebony grove hundreds of years old and then locate the Blue Flower Bees living within it, making this one of the hardest honeys to obtain.
Come to think of it, people said Diamond Honey cleared the skin, too, or something like that.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
At any rate, it was hard to find and expensive, but it was no medicine for a martial artist.
It didn't help with advancing inner arts, and all it did was make you slim.
That would leave you looking utterly pathetic.
In a murim where appearances accounted for at least seventy percent, no martial artist would bother seeking out Diamond Honey.
"That's true for ordinary people. But do you know why it causes weight loss?"
Sima Jeong kept shooting me expectant looks as I sat listening.
W ẽ b̊ n̈о̃v̀ ѐl̃ _Еn̆_ù m̀а́
What? Did he want a response?
"No idea."
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
When I shrugged, Sima Jeong launched into his explanation with a triumphant expression.
"When you take Diamond Honey, the bones absorb the vitality."
At that, my brow furrowed even deeper of its own accord.
Absorbing one's vitality...... That was just poison.
Еṅùm̌ а.іd̆
"But do you know what happens when a martial artist takes Diamond Honey?"
He trailed off as if seeking a reaction from me.
What had this man been trying to do this whole time?
I gave him a skeptical look and asked back.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"What happens?"
"Hehehe, prepare to be amazed."
Ẁĕ_b̄ nо v еl Ènu m̈a
Sima Jeong spread both hands wide and added:
"The bones absorb only the Internal Qi, and then they become hard as diamond."
"......"
"Women who've taken Diamond Honey have reportedly never broken an arm or a leg in their entire lives."
Well, of course not—the women rich enough to afford it lived lives where breaking an arm or a leg was never a concern in the first place.
I was beginning to feel like I was listening to a quack peddling an elixir of immortality.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
This man hadn't given off this kind of vibe when I'd first met him.......
"Well? Tempting, isn't it? You want to try it right now, don't you?"
Sima Jeong's eyes gleamed as he edged closer to me.
What was wrong with him?
I pulled my hand away from the case and took a step back.
"I don't want to take it."
Wе̊b́.nӧ.v еl _Én û mă
"Huh? Why not?"
"So my bones get harder. Where would I even use that?"
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"Come now! Think about it. Your inner arts are completely drained and you're in mortal peril. Then! The enemy swings a club to break your hand, but your hand doesn't break!"
"Martial artists use swords and sabers to begin with."
"Ah, right. Hmm...... then maybe the bone won't get cut through either?"
Did he just end that with a "maybe"?
Е̌ n̂ ům̈а. і̂ ď
"Won't get cut through," he says?
As my expression soured further, Sima Jeong hurried to continue.
"Then how about this? You're in mortal peril. Enemies are chasing you and you're cornered at the edge of a cliff!"
"......"
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"You have to make a choice. Die at the enemy's hands, or plunge off the cliff and die when your bones shatter."
Sima Jeong paused, then threw open the wooden case with a resolute expression and thrust it before my eyes.
W̃ е b n оv̆еl Е̌_nù ṁ a
"But! You've actually taken a spiritual medicine made from Diamond Honey! Then even if you leap off the cliff, you won't die from broken bones! And then you could find a fortuitous encounter down there, recover your body, and seize the chance for revenge!"
I'd been watching to see how far he'd take this, and he really had gone off the deep end.
No—if enemies chased you to a cliff in the first place, you'd made a mistake. A proper martial artist would flee toward an escape route. That was basic.
I let out a sigh and asked quietly.
"......Be honest with me. Are you sure this is real medicine?"
Sima Jeong's giddy expression settled into something calmer.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"......The truth is, I wanted to see what happens when a martial artist takes it. The effects on women are well documented, but I was curious whether the same would apply to a martial artist."
"......"
Goddamn, he was going to use me as a test subject?
Sima Jeong hastily waved both hands.
"Ah! But don't worry—even if it doesn't work, there won't be any side effects. I am truly confident of that much!"
When I just stared at him in silence, he let out a small sigh and mumbled.
Еn̂ u̇ m̄ a . іd
"I suppose even a small loss of Internal Qi is a significant setback for a martial artist. I'm sorry. It's just that you have such a large qi center, I got a bit greedy......"
He forced a smile.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"Don't worry. I'll make you a better Spiritual Pill to replace the one you gave up. Just give me time until the ingredients come together."
With drooping shoulders, Sima Jeong closed the case and turned to leave.
I watched his retreating figure, practically dripping with reluctance, for a moment—then walked over and snatched the case from his hand.
"Huh? Don't tell me you're actually......"
Ѐṅû m а̌ . ǐd
It was already made. Would be a waste otherwise.
If it truly made bones harder, it might help Taeul Sect's children someday.
And above all—
"Keep your promise."
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
On the off chance I ever fell from a cliff and stumbled upon a fortuitous encounter.
......I'd feel pretty cheated if my bones broke then.
W е̌bń_о̊v́ ė l Е̂.n ûm̀ а́
GULP.
The bitter pill scraped roughly down my throat.
***
After taking the pill, my entire body shivered as if seized by chills.
On top of that, I could feel the Internal Qi that should have been firmly lodged in my qi center slowly draining away.
At first I worried too much was being lost, but it wasn't as much as I'd feared.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
About five years' worth?
By my previous life's standards, that was a staggering amount, but in this life, the difference was barely noticeable.
"And then?"
"My muscles feel kind of taut."
Sima Jeong's eyes sparkled as he peppered me with questions about my condition.
He checked my expression, asked how I felt, and meticulously recorded every detail of my body's changes.
Е̊ṅ ü m a
"Having a martial artist as a test subject certainly makes things convenient."
Did he just openly call this an experiment?
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"Now then, shall we move on to the next test?"
"......"
He wasn't even trying to hide it anymore.
Whether I was flabbergasted or not, Sima Jeong began stacking bricks he'd brought from somewhere.
Е ǹ ũ ṁа
Each stack rose to about waist height, with just enough space between them to rest a forearm.
"Place your arm here."
"......"
"Hm? Why the look? Ah, I was being unclear—my apologies. I want to test whether your bones have actually hardened."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
......The thing he should be apologizing for was something else entirely.
Still, I did as he said and placed my arm on top.
Е́ n̊ ŭm̀.ă..і̀ d̊
Annoying as the situation was, I was genuinely curious too.
If the bones needed to absorb Internal Qi to harden, I wanted to know just how hard they'd become.
......The fact that my own body was the test subject was a bit of a problem, though.
Once I'd set my arm on the stacked bricks, Sima Jeong brought out a long cudgel.
Worn smooth with use, it looked sturdily built.
I gazed up at him.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"Do you even have the strength to swing that?"
"I do have some inner arts, you know. Oh, and don't channel any Internal Qi. That would invalidate the experiment."
How much inner arts could a physician possibly have?
That was what I was thinking when I should have called it off.
CRACK—!
"......"
Е ň ŭm̆а. îd
The solid cudgel shattered, and splinters scattered in every direction.
The pain was so intense I couldn't even scream properly.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
'Nngh! Goddamn, what the hell?!!'
He'd struck so hard that the two bricks supporting the platform crumbled on the spot.
This had to be broken.
Certain beyond any doubt that my arm was shattered, I snapped my eyes open—
Ѐn ū mа̄ . і d̆
And found Sima Jeong beaming.
"Look at this! It really didn't break!"
"......"
"This cudgel was actually made from black ebony. They say it's harder than most steel. And it smashed to pieces while your bone is perfectly fine! See? I was right!"
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
I looked down at my arm, dazed.
My skin had started turning red from the violent impact, but there was nothing wrong with the bone.
Ënu m̃ â .і̂ d̀
I clenched my fist—full strength flowed through it.
It hurt like hell, but the Diamond Honey did seem to have worked.
I was worrying about what would surely be a nasty bruise when—
Sima Jeong glanced at my arm and said with a slightly startled look.
"W-wait just a moment."
He then scurried off inside the medicine hall.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
At least he had the decency to think about treatment.
After all, my arm might not be broken, but there was a bit of blood too.
A minor wound for a martial artist, but it might have looked quite serious to a layperson.
'Tsk...... At heart, he's a decent person.'
The problem was that his obsession with medicine sometimes made him seem out of his mind.
Well, could you even call that a flaw?
W̊ е b́ n o v̇ е l _Е ń u̇mӓ
It was precisely that passion that had given him such remarkable skill.
While I waited for Sima Jeong's herbs and wound salve—
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
SHINK.
An ominous sound made me turn my head.
"Heave-ho!"
Sima Jeong emerged from inside carrying a long saber.
Е nŭ mа
What in the world?
"......Didn't you go in to get wound salve?"
"Hm? Wound salve?"
"......"
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Sima Jeong wore a smile as warm as sunlight melting winter snow and chattered away excitedly.
"We need to keep experimenting! The records say that even a decent blade can't fully sever the bone......"
Ēn u m ă.і̂ d
I'd been wrong.
This wasn't a matter of passion.
This man was simply insane.
TAP, TAP—
I deployed Unrivaled under Heaven Movement Art at full power and fled the medicine hall.
"W-where are you going! Just one more test, won't you—!"
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
......The madman's voice faded into the distance.
***
I spent most of the break at Taeul Sect.
Half a day of training under Baek Hae-gwang, then off to Jang Do-won's forge to press him about when he'd make the next divine weapon.
......And the rest of my days were spent with Taeul Sect's children, dodging Sima Jeong, who still wanted to test his saber on my arm.
The break flew by in the blink of an eye.
Wêb̊ ṅо̄v̈е l Ӗn̊ü m̂ а
Time crawled during the hard times, yet sweet rest slipped through my fingers—how was that fair?
The Sect Leader and the Hall Masters proposed holding a small banquet for our return to the Academy, but Father, who kept a tight grip on the purse strings, was less than enthusiastic.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
He was still sore about what I'd done in Hwangcheon County.
In any case, since the guests of honor included not just me but Sa-ryeon and the Gold-Silver-Copper Brothers as well, Father eventually relented and held a small banquet.
Thanks to that, all the disciples belonging to Taeul Sect, their parents, and everyone else were invited to enjoy the celebration.
"It all worked out in the end—why are you fretting so much?"
Е̂ n̂üḿā
At my words, Father, mid-drink, bulged his eyes and shouted.
"You worthless brat! Do you have any idea how hard I've worked to scrub the Black Path stain off you?!"
Oh, so his anger wasn't about the Lantern Sect?
"Every time the Great Heaven Merchant Guild passes through, Black Path sects tag along as escorts! Escorts! And they do it for free!"
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Hmm...... wasn't that a good thing?
"That's great, then. Cuts costs and ensures safety. Two birds with one sto— ack!"
E n̆u̇ mа̀.. і̂d̄
I narrowly dodged the wine cup hurtling at my face.
My own father, throwing a cup at me? What had the world come to?
"You little shit! You know how it works! The world fabricates crimes even where there's no dirt. And you're volunteering to wear the Black Path's mask......!"
Ah, so that was what he'd been worried about.
I took a sip of wine and spoke calmly.
"No matter how spotless I am, those who want to hate me will find a way."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"......"
"......"
"......"
Hm? What?
The mood of the banquet suddenly turned frigid.
Everyone who had been chattering away was now staring in my direction.
Е̄n̂ūm̄ а̃
Had I said something terribly wrong?
I didn't think so......?
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
I ignored the atmosphere and continued.
"It's been this way from the start. No matter how many results I produced or how much I proved myself, those who refused to believe never believed, and those who wanted to pick a fight kept picking fights. It will probably stay that way."
I spoke plainly about what I'd felt all this time.
When I'd entered the Academy and earned top marks, I'd thought that proving myself would change something.
Е n̂ um̊ ӑ
The Nine Sects and One Gang, the Five Great Clans—the forces that had dominated the murim for centuries.
No matter how unfair the standards they applied, no matter how much inequality they forced to suit their tastes—I'd believed that if I broke through it all, I could earn their recognition.
'As if that would ever happen......'
But the more I broke through the walls they'd erected, the higher I scaled the ramparts they'd built—the greater the pressure and threats became.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
And they probably would continue.
"So I've decided to stop caring. If they're going to hate me regardless, isn't it better to sort friends from enemies sooner rather than later?"
È n ũm̀a
I paused and drained my cup in one go.
"If I show myself honestly like this, those destined to become enemies will become enemies quickly, and those destined to become allies will become allies. Don't you think?"
No one answered.
Most wore expressions tinged with bitterness.
I'd spoken of sorting allies from enemies, but the likelihood of gaining actual allies was low.
Would any sect truly want to stand with Taeul Sect? That fundamental doubt must have crossed their minds.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Then—
"Excuse me...... is anyone here?"
Someone entered the Great Heaven Merchant Guild.
"Ah, I'm sorry. We're not open for business today......"
The visitor shook his head at Kang Chae-seok's words.
"I'm not here to commission work. I've come to deliver something."
Е̊ ǹù m̆ а̇
"Deliver?"
The man nodded and produced a letter from inside his robe.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"A gift sent by the Sect Leader of the One Pillar Sect to the young hero Jin So-un of Taeul Sect."
"......"
"......"
Every gaze in the room swiveled to me.
Wẽ bn оve̊ l_ Е̇n̊u m a
Kang Chae-seok leapt up and took the letter from the man.
"'In gratitude to the young hero Jin So-un for preemptively thwarting a threat that could have thrown the murim into chaos. One Pillar Sect Leader Jo Seong-hyeop.' ......What is this?"
While Kang Chae-seok and the rest of Taeul Sect stood in bewildered stupor after reading the letter—
Another person stepped into the merchant guild.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Behind him, a line of cart hands followed, laden with goods.
"Is Jin So-un here? I've brought items sent by the Heavenly Sword Gang."
Ën̂ u m̂ а̌ .іd
That was not the end.
"Young hero Jin So-un......"
"Is Jin So-un here?"
"Jin So......"
Gifts poured into the Great Heaven Merchant Guild from one place after another, without end.
Everyone at the banquet rose from their seats, scrambling to receive the deliveries.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Most of the accompanying letters praised his role in the Lantern Sect incident and expressed anticipation for future endeavors.
The banquet hall fell silent.
Kang Chae-seok looked up from a letter, his expression flushed.
"Is this...... are allies really starting to appear?"
As Kang Chae-seok spoke in a daze, Hong Mun-gi raised his voice with a grin.
"What's everyone standing around stunned for? It's exactly what So-un said would happen."
Ѐn̊ u̇ m а̀ .і̌d̈
"......"
"Don't you want to...... open the gifts?"
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
The instant Hong Mun-gi's words left his mouth, the mood flipped once more.
The Hall Masters and children tore into the mountain of gifts the moment permission was granted, jaws dropping with every item they uncovered.
"I've never touched silk this soft before."
"Uh...... Outer Hall Master, there are silver ingots in here......"
Ẇ е b̌ n̂ ò v̀ еl Ѐ n u m̄а
"There's a sword in this one!"
I walked over to Father, who was staring blankly at the spectacle, and stood beside him.
"See? I told you."
"......"
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"Even if I have a few blemishes, the people who see me for what I am will see me clearly."
Father turned a complicated gaze toward me.
W̌ё bñоvе̊ l̊ E n̈ũ m̀ а̌
I clapped him on the shoulder and pointed to one side.
"Over there—the Hall Masters are trying to pocket a few silver ingots. Aren't you going to stop them?"
Father shook his head and cracked a smile at last.
"......Can't have that."
Just as the raucous banquet atmosphere was about to pick back up—
TAP, TAP, TAP.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
A rough-looking man strode into the merchant guild.
With a face that practically had "I'm Black Path" tattooed on it, the banquet's mood plummeted once more.
SWISH—
Several Hall Masters already had their hands on the swords that had arrived with the gifts.
The rough-looking man stood in the middle of the banquet hall and called out.
"Is this the Great Heaven Merchant Guild?"
Ѐ nùm̊ а̀
"It is."
Kang Chae-seok stepped forward and asked.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"And who might you be?"
Instead of answering, the man whistled.
At the signal, ten equally rough-looking men filed in behind him, each carrying a coffin-length chest on their backs.
"Where might the great hero Jin So-un be?"
Е nũ_m а
"......Great hero?"
Kang Chae-seok shot me a look demanding an explanation, but I had no answer to give.
I'd never seen these faces before in my life.
The man followed Kang Chae-seok's gaze to me, then suddenly pressed his fists together in a clasped hands greeting.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"Stronghold Master, have you been well?"
Hm? Stronghold Master?
Е̂n u mа̄ . îd
......Was he talking to me?
"Put 'em down, lads."
"Yes, sir!"
THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD.
The ten men set the chests on the ground and flung the lids open.
Inside, from copper coins to silver coins and gemstones, they were filled to the brim.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
The man bowed deeply and reported.
"This is last year's tribute from the Black Dragon Stronghold to the Stronghold Master. We started late, so the earnings are meager—please forgive us."
What the hell was this bullshit?
"B-Black Dragon Stronghold?"
"Tr-tribute?"
The Taeul Sect members gawked at me in horror.
Е́ǹu̇ m ӑ ._і̃ d̃
And from behind came a low voice.
"A few...... blemishes, you said?"
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
I turned around.
"The Black Dragon Stronghold?"
Father looked ready to commit murder.
No, I swear I had nothing to do with this.
É n ùmá. і d̂
This was truly, utterly unfair.
Konten Bab Belum Tersedia
Bab ini belum memiliki konten teks atau sedang dalam proses penyuntingan.
