Shouting seemed to relieve some of the frustration.
‘Don’t give up, Yuk Yang-jin.’
Muttering to himself as if making a vow, he was about to stand up when he heard the sound of someone approaching. Startled, Chief Administrator Yuk looked around. Just then, a harsh curse drifted from behind him.
“Who’s the bastard making all that noise?”
The voice sounded thuggish. Judging by the slurred speech, it seemed a group of drunks had been loitering nearby. Terrified, Chief Administrator Yuk quickly apologized.
“I am sorry. I made a mistake, not knowing anyone was here.”
“You dare kill the mood for your elders?”
Three men stepped out from the dark thicket. One of them walked right up to Chief Administrator Yuk and grabbed him by the collar without warning. Startled, the administrator tried to pull back, but he was held fast by a grip so strong he couldn’t budge.
Fearing he might be beaten, Chief Administrator Yuk spoke pleadingly once more.
“I am truly sorry. I didn’t do it on purpose.”
Before he could even finish his sentence, a fist like a hammer slammed deep into his abdomen.
*Thud!*
“Ugh…”
A commoner in his fifties who had never trained in martial arts, Chief Administrator Yuk collapsed to the ground, retching.
“Damn it, how disgusting! Hey, how much did this guy eat?”
The other men snickered as they looked down at the fallen man. One of them unhesitatingly rifled through his clothes and pulled out a coin pouch.
“Whoa! This is heavy.”
“Really? Sam-deok, let me see.”
A fairly large man snatched the pouch and opened it.
“Heavens! Is this gold?”
“What? There’s gold in there?”
The man who had punched him first grabbed his collar again and hauled him up.
“Hey!”
As he was lifted, Chief Administrator Yuk’s body hung limp.
“Hey! Wake up!”
He shook the administrator by the collar, but there was no movement. The men were suddenly seized with fear, though they tried to hide it as they glanced at one another.
“Hey, I think we’re in trouble.”
“Why? Is he dead?”
“If he died from one punch, I’d be the greatest master under heaven.”
“Then why is he like this?”
“He probably just fainted.”
They spoke confidently, but dread slowly crept in. If he really was dead, they were in deep trouble. Moreover, carrying a pouch full of gold meant he was no ordinary person. They carefully lowered Chief Administrator Yuk to the ground and checked his breath.
He seemed to be breathing, however faintly.
“Hey, he’s still alive! Let’s get out of here.”
“What if he actually dies later?”
“Then what are we supposed to do?”
“Let’s take him to a physician first!”
One of the men raised his hand to stop the others.
“Wait, calm down. You hit this guy while you were drunk. Now look at him. He’s not dead yet, but he’s in bad shape. But look at this pouch.”
The other two looked down at the pouch. It was hard to see clearly in the dark, but the pouch itself looked expensive.
“This isn’t something an ordinary person carries. It’s made of high-quality silk. And there’s gold inside. You know what that means?”
“…”
“He’s either a government official or someone from a very wealthy family. If our identities are found out, we’re finished.”
The other two took on grave expressions at his words. For a while, the three of them stood in silence, deep in thought. After a moment, they looked at each other, nodded, and stood up.
“We didn’t mean for this to happen, so don’t resent us too much. You just had bad luck.”
After scanning their surroundings cautiously, they quickly fled the scene.
In truth, Chief Administrator Yuk was not unconscious; he was simply struggling to breathe, and his body felt completely drained of strength. He tried to make a sound, but only a raspy, choking noise came out. As time passed, his mind grew hazy, as if something were draining out of his body.
Senses blurring between dream and reality, his life flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern. He had survived so many dangers and threats throughout his life, only to be beaten to death by a random drunk in the mountains. The thought was almost comical to him.
If there was any luck at all, it was that the thugs had laid him flat on his back while checking his condition. Thanks to that, even as he was dying, he could look up at the sky.
‘I lived well enough. It’s a bit ridiculous to die so pointlessly, but if it is your will, what can I do? If you’re going to take me, please look after Ha-rin at least.’
As he gave up on life, his mind grew peaceful, even as his body suffocated in pain. Just then, a distinct sound echoed from a distance.
*Clip-clop, clip-clop.*
“Mong, that’s not the path. Let’s head back now.”
After finishing the business with the Haomun, Kangchan had felt sorry for Mong, who had been stuck in the stable for days. He had taken the horse to a secluded area to let him run freely and was now on his way back. However, the well-behaved Mong had suddenly veered toward a mountain trail.
Kangchan followed after him, calling out.
“Mong, I said that way leads to the mountain.”
*Whinny!*
Mong let out a cry from up ahead.
Kangchan, who had been walking slowly toward Mong, suddenly dashed forward like a bolt of lightning. Mong was licking the face of a man lying flat on the ground. Kangchan hurried to examine the man’s body.
First, he activated Jieugiseong to sense the other’s energy. A wave of deathly energy rushed toward him. Along with that deathly chill, he felt a massive clump of energy gathered in the center of the man’s chest.
Kangchan spread both hands over the man’s chest. With his right hand, he began to draw out the stagnant energy, while his left hand funneled the energy purified by Jieugiseong back into the man. He could roughly guess what had happened. This man had suffered a sudden blockage of qi because too much energy had surged and clumped in his chest.
Kangchan slowly absorbed the energy knotted in the man’s chest. As the energy drawn by his right hand grew thinner, the man’s breathing gradually stabilized, and his complexion returned to normal. After holding his left hand there a bit longer to stabilize the qi flow, Kangchan finally pulled away and took a step back.
About fifteen minutes later, the man on the ground sat up and looked around. Finding Kangchan watching him from a short distance away, Chief Administrator Yuk cried out in surprise.
“Am I… dead? Who are you, Master?”
Kangchan replied with a gentle smile.
“It is truly a relief. You would have been in great trouble if it weren’t for Mong. How do you feel now?”
“Am I… alive?”
Chief Administrator Yuk felt his body here and there.
“My body feels fine. Did you save me, Master?”
“Yes, fortunately.”
Chief Administrator Yuk looked at Mong standing beside the young man.
“I suppose this fellow’s name is Mong. What a magnificent creature.”
“Haha, well, my friend is a bit special.”
Looking at the laughing Kangchan, Chief Administrator Yuk seemed to remember something and bowed politely.
“I committed a discourtesy, not knowing you were my savior. Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Yuk Yang-jin, the Chief Administrator of the Golden Clan.”
“I am Kangchan, the Sect Leader of the Heavenly Mandate Hall.”
Whenever he revealed his identity, people’s reactions usually fell into one of two categories: shock or greed. However, the man before him was remarkably composed.
“The Heavenly Mandate Hall… the one that recently took over the place where the White Dragon Association used to be…”
The Heavenly Mandate Hall that Chief Administrator Yuk knew was the actual dark sect organization that ruled the Night of Hangzhou. He was momentarily frightened, but he was not a man so easily shaken as to show his emotions openly.
“Yes, that is correct.”
“I did not recognize you. My apologies.”
“You don’t need to be so formal.”
“But you are my savior…”
“It’s not quite like that. And the real savior is Mong, not me. Hahaha.”
“Is that so? Haha.”
“In any case, can you move? If it’s inconvenient, I can escort you home.”
“I couldn’t possibly impose on you like that. If I rest for a moment, I should have no trouble moving.”
“Nonsense. Tell me where your home is, and I will see you there.”
‘What is his intention?’
Chief Administrator Yuk was curious about the other man’s motive. Regardless, Kangchan looked at Mong.
“You’re the one who saved him, so take responsibility until the end, Mong.”
*Whinny!*
Mong approached Chief Administrator Yuk and bobbed his head up and down.
“He’s telling you to get on.”
“Ha… this is quite embarrassing…”
Reluctantly, Chief Administrator Yuk climbed onto Mong’s back and looked at Kangchan.
“Then, I would appreciate it if you could take me to the Hangzhou branch of the Golden Exchange.”
“I don’t know the way very well, so please guide me as we go.”
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
With that, the two headed toward the Hangzhou branch of the Golden Exchange. Along the way, Yuk Yang-jin reflected on the information he had about the Heavenly Mandate Hall.
The Heavenly Mandate Hall he knew was the practical ruler of the Hangzhou underworld. People believed the Cheonrang Sect had unified Hangzhou, but the reality was different. Furthermore, it was a power of the night that was even intertwined with the Haomun.
The Sect Leader of the Heavenly Mandate Hall, Cheongung. Just that name was enough to make one’s spine chill.
He glanced down and noticed the man did not have a bow. Moreover, he didn’t resemble the rumors about the Sect Leader of the Heavenly Mandate Hall at all.
‘Is this man really the leader of the Heavenly Mandate Hall? Or did I mishear a similar name?’
He wanted to confirm, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask. Walking slowly and checking if the administrator was uncomfortable, Kangchan sensed the fear underlying the man’s curiosity.
‘Why is he suddenly feeling afraid? Is it because of the Heavenly Mandate Hall?’
From the moment he revealed he was the Sect Leader, the other’s attitude had become subtly cautious. Feeling that, Kangchan felt a bit bitter. But it wasn’t the man’s fault, so he couldn’t say anything.
Kangchan spoke to him.
“Please let me know if you are uncomfortable.”
Chief Administrator Yuk was startled by the voice and checked his own body.
“I don’t know what you did, but my body feels light as a feather.”
“I drew out the bad energy that was clumped inside you, but because the flow was blocked for so long, your muscles might have been damaged. You should move carefully for a while to avoid any lingering effects.”
He didn’t quite understand the details, but Kangchan’s words sounded strangely familiar. After thinking it over, Chief Administrator Yuk realized why.
‘I see. He sounds like a physician.’
Feeling the silence grow awkward, Chief Administrator Yuk asked cautiously.
“Are you perhaps a physician, Master?”
“Of course not. It’s just that the martial art I practice is a bit unusual.”
“I don’t know what kind of art it is, but it’s truly amazing. You’re like a physician.”
“Hahaha, really? It’s actually nothing special. I just manage qi a little.”
As they exchanged a few words, the fear that had dominated Chief Administrator Yuk naturally faded away.
“Didn’t you say you were the Sect Leader of the Heavenly Mandate Hall earlier?”
“You heard correctly. Do I not look the part?”
Chief Administrator Yuk waved his hands in surprise at Kangchan’s question.
“No, not at all. It’s just… it’s surprising that someone who seems like a physician is the leader of the Heavenly Mandate Hall…”
Wishing to put the man at ease, Kangchan changed the subject.
“I can guess, but are you not going to tell me how you ended up like this?”
“It happened because of my own shortcomings… I’m alive, so that’s all that matters. By the way, the martial art you’ve learned is truly mysterious.”
“You seem very interested in martial arts.”
“Not exactly. It’s just that I have a temperament that can’t ignore something so fascinating…”
“I see.”
Chatting as they walked, the Golden Exchange finally came into view.