Chapter 109: Didn't Get That From Seeing It?
“Are you busy?”
“I have some work to do.”
I have come to visit the Moyong Family after finishing up with the Baijian Society.
This is because, according to Manager Byeok, Moyong Baek had visited the Black Rabbit Union several times with a tired face.
I sigh as I sit down and look at Moyong Baek’s face.
“Doctor, why does your face look like that?”
Moyon Baek forces a smile and says.
“I seem to be studying a bit too hard.”
I look at his expression.
“I, too, lived with studying and working, and I know that this face is not from studying. It looks like you used too much of your mind, like something happened.”
I look at his library.
Books in high places aren’t usually touched, but his books have visible handprints on their dusty covers. Probably because a couple of books were taken out.
‘What is this guy suddenly studying?’
Anyway, Moyong Baek isn’t looking well.
“The condition of my physician doesn’t seem good. Who will you even treat like this? I think you should lie down and rest.”
Moyong Baek continues to smile.
“I am just a little tired.”
“Doctor.”
“Yes.”
“Hurry up and tell me everything.”
Moyong Baek nods and changes the topic.
“I see you’ve been busy recently. I dropped by the Black Rabbit Union several times but didn’t find you there.”
I give him a brief explanation of what I’ve been doing.
“Some people kept sending assassins after me, so I went to find them. While I didn’t find the assassins, the faction that hired them has been wiped out. Right now, my men are carrying out the rest of my orders.”
“Seems like a pretty large force.”
“They’re the Baijian Society.”
“I’ve heard of them.”
I stop talking as I notice Moyong Baek’s pale skin. It’s clear that today is the day I have to find out what happened to him.
Moyong Baek doesn’t seem to want to speak about it.
“Doctor Moyong.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s talk about everything. Why did you have to use so much of your life force? I need to know.”
“Of course, I have to speak.”
Moyong Baek picks up a book and places it on the table.
“I received a manual for the Ice Arts.”
I nod my head and cross my arms.
“Right. And?”
Moyong Baek continues, slightly shocked.
“Aren’t you surprised?”
“Ice Arts is Ice Arts. Do I have any reason to be surprised? Keep talking. You received it and?”
“Of course, I thought it would be good to hand this over to you, sect leader. Once I began reading, though, it felt strangely similar to a book that once spoke about internal qi and medicine.”
“Right.”
“I checked to see if there was anything that could harm the sect leader.”
“But was there anything that could harm me?”
Moyong Baek points his finger at the book.
“If you want to raise the level of your Ice Qi, there is a technique for it. It is something similar to harvesting yin to nourish the yang. To harvest means to dig into, and when you dig into something, it is bound to die. In other words, this method implies the necessity to kill people to become stronger. It is not described in detail, but the creator of this martial art completed it by filling it naturally. In other words, this is not a martial arts manual but closer to a diary. I have edited out all of the unnecessary processes…”
“Doctor, doctor Moyong…”
“Yes?”
“Drink a glass of water. Slowly…”
Moyong Baek looks at me as I pour him some water.
“I wanted to make it right, but it wasn’t easy. Because the content of the diary is quite intertwined.”
“So?”
I feel a bit bad for all he’s done, but I continue to listen.
“In the end, I visited you several times, but you weren’t there, so I was studying alone.”
I nod.
“So that happened. It seems like the other method was also cruel?”
“Yes. This is a book written by someone from Kangho who isn’t just cruel but also incapable of feeling sympathy or remorse. The book is not detailed, but I can’t even imagine how many they killed. I felt depressed while reading this.”
I now understand the situation.
“So this is a demonic art.”
“Yes.”
“Did the guy who brought this come while waving a fan?”
“How do you know this? He asked me to keep it a secret.”
“If you really thought I wouldn’t know, then you underestimated me.”
Seems like that guy had left, though.
It wouldn’t have been difficult for him to get the book since he is a member of the Demonic Sect. However, if he secretly stole it, then it wouldn’t be strange if he was kicked out.
But since that man is the Demonic Gentleman, he probably has enough power to silence anyone who might complain.
That means something similar probably happened in my previous life too.
However, Moyong Baek’s condition is more important to me right now.
I sit while clenching my chin and ask him again.
“How old are you to simply tap into the life force? Doctor, you are one unpredictable person.”
“Yes. It was because I was angry. I am a physician who has to save people, and as I read the diary of a person who kills another without hesitation more and more, I…”
“You…?”
“I was so angry that I couldn’t sleep. I also wondered what is the use of the medicine that I am studying if it cannot be useful.”
“And…”
And now Moyong Baek is revealing his true intentions.
“Actually, I have been thinking this whole time to find that person and kill him if he was alive.”
I nod.
I have no choice now but to respond to him.
‘Right. It has to be poison.’
There is only a paper-thin difference between good and bad intentions.
This man can also change at any time.
This is because that paper boundary is thinner than a person’s thoughts.
I made up my mind to scold him a little.
Of course, I also need to do it strategically since I dearly value our relationship.
As I devise my strategy Moyong Baek, who isn’t in a good state, asks me.
“Leader, this guy must already be dead, right?”
“Dead.”
“When did he die?”
“Can I see it once?”
I hold the book left by Demonic Gentleman and then mumble as I read through it.
“Why are you talking so much? Phew, the weather is nice. Ice Arts is a branch of Yin cultivation, and it is divided into Coldness and Ice. The purpose of Cold Qi is to spread cold energy around you. If anyone uses this, nine out of ten are sure to suffer. However, since the Ice Qi will exude coldness outside the body, it can be used to freely target whoever you want across a wide area. Moon Shadow Martial Arts… Doctor, this Ice Art.”
“Yes”
“It is made by a woman.”
Moyong Baek responds with surprise.
“Uh? There was no mention of that, though?”
“No, it was definitely made by a woman. The Moon Shadow Martial Arts. The moon’s shadow is ruthless, but the woman also seems to have suffered a series of misfortunes, specifically from ugly men who depended on alcohol. If this is an Ice Art, she probably reached enlightenment for it while drinking under the moonlight. I understand it. However, the shadow of the moon is heartless, you know? This is not a sentiment made by a man. Just looking at it, doesn’t it seem like something a woman would do? Couldn’t you tell with just one look?”
Moyong Baek answers me simply.
“Right.”
“Looking at it further, it seems like this is a martial art used to take revenge.”
Moyong Baek is shocked once more.
“Uh? No, there was no mention of revenge?”
“No, listen to me carefully. Who would take revenge on someone using Ice Arts? Was this person the best in the world? No. I definitely think this was made with a target for revenge in mind. They must also possess tremendous power and strong martial arts. Maybe almost the best in the world? It would have been impossible to defeat them using normal martial arts. They must have been a man with a good reputation and difficult to reach. Perhaps a great swordsman or some kind of leader. This woman must also have been very beautiful.”
“What is this, all of a sudden?”
Moyong Baek visibly gives up and continues to listen to me.
“She was definitely quite the beautiful woman. She must have been trained in martial arts too. The man approached her and made love to her. The woman was happy, thinking they would be together for the rest of their lives. When the man left her for another… how was she supposed to forget those memories? To erase those happy moments? The man must have looked down on this woman. That’s why all of this is written in such dull and clear writing, made under the heartless light of the moon.”
Moyong Baek looks at the handwriting further.
“The handwriting is really clean…”
“This is the handwriting of Wei Ryong-ha, one of the Demonic Sect’s Great Warriors.”
“Are you just guessing?”
“Do you know her?”
“I do. Wasn’t she a young disciple of the Demonic Sect who challenged the men of Kunlun? Come to think of it, she was described as being like a typhoon. I know that someone named Wei Ryong-ha had destroyed the Kunlun Sect. Only after their annihilation did she become associated with the Demonic Cult.”
“Where in the world were the people who would call her that? Someone else could have accepted her martial arts or become her successor.”
Moyong Baek is now confused as to how the record of her skills has come to be here.
“Come to think of it, the man who brought this here also had bad posture and looked like he was overly well-read. His eyes were tired too.”
“Doctor Moyong.”
“Yes?”
I look at him.
“I am not the Demonic Cult’s Great Warrior. There is no need for such a method. There is no need to hurt people by performing the evil deeds written in this book. There are many ways to become stronger. If the doctor is this restless…”
I grab the book and shake it.
“I’d rather burn this.”
Moyong Baek is startled and holds out his hand.
“Ah, don’t do that. I understand. Don’t burn it! I will not read it anymore.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
I speak in a blunt tone as I put the book down.
“There are many evils in this world that we do not understand. This is why I am busy running around killing all the bad people. I will be the one to throw them into the fire. Those who drink alcohol, those who view people as things, and those who do not regard people as people. I will take them all to hell.”
“Yes.”
“Doctor just needs to calm down and look after his patients. Killing is what I do, okay?”
I look into his eyes as he responds.
“I understand. But, leader, do you understand the intention of the man who brought this book?”
“I do.”
“What is it?”
“They want to compete with me using our footwork. He is a crazy one.”
“Did you compete with him?’”
“No, I avoided his challenge since I know he is faster than me right now. This means that I can learn properly and compete equally later.”
“What happens if he wins then? He seemed strong.”
I smile.
“Well…”
“Yes.”
“I will be happy.”
“You will celebrate defeat?”
“Yes, I’ll be happy to gain motivation to train. Victory is something you always keep striving for. Someday, he would come back and rechallenge me with a smile. Who would win, then? I am a man who won’t be defeated by a bookworm, a running addict, a calm man.”
Moyong Baek nods his head.
“So cool.”
I grab the book and shake it again.
“If we cannot learn Ice Arts normally, then let’s just burn this without regrets. Ice or not… this is just one of many martial arts.”
“Yes.”
Actually, I don’t even need to develop using all of the paths. I don’t even need pills. It is enough to use the qi stored in my body, but I cannot tell Moyong Baek this.
I then point to him and order him in a commanding voice.
“Enough for today. Now go and sleep.”
“I will.”
“Go now. I am going to meditate here today so tell the maids to close the doors too.”
For today I will stand guard.
Unlike my previous life, Moyong Baek is afraid of the Demonic Gentleman because he doesn’t have an in-depth understanding of martial arts. He is also angry at himself for this fear.
The reason for being angry is simple.
As a physician, he only has a short time to learn martial arts. However, this is because he is more confident than most when it comes to martial arts.
The psychology of a person is mysterious, and the flow of it is different from common sense.
I will now cultivate here while Moyong Baek sleeps.
I sit cross-legged on the bed used for patients. Because I am a patient, I feel comfortable here.
Many female helpers are moving around, so I close my eyes and open my mouth.
“Noisy. I need to cultivate, so, please be quiet.”
“…”
“Why don’t I hear an answer?”
“We understand, leader.”
A man who cultivates while standing guard…
.
.
.
I can hear Moyong Baek mumble in his sleep.
“… you must be tired. You should go and rest too.”
“Sit down and snore.”
“Shh.”
“…”