Chapter 26
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Taking down the enemy in one strike was good, but I used too much energy.
The overwhelming exhaustion made my legs nearly give out.
I don’t even have the strength to speak.
Hyeonjo quickly approached to check her condition.
On the surface, Ga-jin didn’t seem to have any major injuries; in fact, she looked rather calm.
Knowing what had happened, Hyeonjo marveled.
“A flame imbued with the profound essence of ‘Destroying Evil and Revealing Justice.’ Incredible.”
To think it could expel a Heart Demon.
In situations where swords clash, accidents are inevitable.
Subduing an opponent without injuring them in such a situation essentially means an overwhelming gap in skill.
No injuries, and even expelling a Heart Demon—this was the best possible outcome.
“Thank you.”
Hyeonjo expressed his gratitude.
“If you were going to worry so much, why didn’t you intervene?”
If he had harbored ill intent, Ga-jin would have died.
Lee Seon leaned his exhausted body against a tree.
“There was no other choice.”
If he had interfered, she would carry the burden of today’s events for the rest of her life.
And he knew all too well how painful that could be.
Once a Heart Demon takes root in one’s mind, expelling it is difficult.
Protecting his disciple by stepping in would have been the right choice.
But as a martial artist wishing for her growth, he couldn’t make that decision.
“Because I believed it was the better path for her.”
Even Hyeonjo had taken a significant risk.
Lee Seon grumbled.
“I nearly died, you know.”
From his perspective, subduing her was not an option but a necessity.
If he had inflicted serious injury or even killed her, this man wouldn’t have let it slide.
To avoid being killed by a martial artist who had just lost his disciple before his eyes, controlling his power wasn’t optional—it was essential.
Hyeonjo brushed off his complaint with a laugh.
“For someone who claims that, you seemed pretty composed, didn’t you?”
Composed, my foot.
The swordsmanship was so dazzling that a single mistake could have slit my belly open.
“You couldn’t even properly execute a pressure point technique. You must be getting old.”
Lee Seon simply slumped to the ground.
Hyeonjo murmured as he examined the traces left at the scene.
“By the way, that’s a truly fascinating martial art.”
The marks of Ga-jin’s sword strikes were scattered all over as if they were scars.
However, in contrast, almost no traces of Lee Seon were left behind.
Considering he mostly dodged, it wasn’t surprising.
“Despite such intense heat, there was barely any collateral damage.”
Neither the grass nor the surrounding trees caught fire.
His martial arts were tyrannical, yet in some ways resembled Daoist or Buddhist techniques.
Just like the Lion’s Roar of Shaolin, which also expels Qi Deviation.
“Could you be… some secret weapon raised by Wudang or Shaolin?”
Hyeonjo’s remark was half a joke.
And from the listener’s perspective, it wasn’t particularly unpleasant.
To mention the likes of Shaolin or Wudang—renowned as the pinnacles of orthodox sects—meant his martial skills were comparable to theirs.
‘Who dares compare me to monks and Taoists?’
Of course, if the old man back home heard this, he’d probably throw a fit.
The mere thought of it brought an uncontrollable smile to his lips.
Seeing this, Hyeonjo shook his head.
“It was just a passing comment.”
The fact that he didn’t shave his head ruled out Shaolin.
That left Wudang.
As much as he hated to admit it, Wudang was currently the sect closest to being the best in the martial world.
However, he was too tyrannical to be from Wudang.
Moreover, Wudang practitioners supposedly avoided fire-based techniques, not even eating cooked food.
That meant this young man really was an unprecedented martial artist who appeared out of nowhere.
Surely, this boy would make a name for himself in the martial world soon.
Hyeonjo hoisted Ga-jin onto his back and grabbed the token with one hand.
“Anyway, thank you. I’ll surely repay this debt.”
As he prepared to leave, his sleeve was tugged.
“Where are you going?”
Hyeonjo looked puzzled.
“To Mount Hua.”
He needed to care for his unconscious disciple.
Although her condition had improved, she wasn’t entirely free from internal injuries.
She needed to recuperate at Mount Hua for some time.
“I have no reason to stay here anymore.”
Hyeonjo’s appearance didn’t look good, even as a joke.
How had Yoo Family Escort Bureau made it this far without incident during their long journey?
It was thanks to his tearful sacrifices.
By eliminating lurking dangers like bandits along their route, he ensured a safe journey.
“Then what about me?”
Hyeonjo responded with a confused expression.
“Are you affiliated with Mount Hua?”
“No.”
Strictly speaking, my affiliation is with Hyeokmun Mountain.
“I was just wondering if you forgot something.”
He opened his palm, silently pressuring him.
Hyeonjo, flustered, asked back.
“Do you want something?”
He was curious to hear what it could be.
“An elixir.”
Most of the money he brought was already spent, and there wasn’t much else he could give.
After all, it wasn’t as if he carried gifts to hand out on his missions.
“I can’t give you anything right now.”
Hyeonjo smiled awkwardly, looking apologetic.
Lee Seon waved it off as if it wasn’t a big deal.
“That’s fine for now. But you’re heading to Mount Hua soon, aren’t you?”
Right. Shaanxi was right ahead, and Mount Hua was located there.
It wasn’t right around the corner, but it was close enough.
“That’s true.”
“Then I can just head to Mount Hua myself.”
“What?”
Does that even make sense?
Hyeonjo was flabbergasted.
“No, even if you don’t come to Mount Hua, I’ll bring it to you, so don’t worry.”
Lee Seon shook his head as if to say not to speak such nonsense.
“Your eyesight isn’t great, so it’s only right that I go to Mount Hua myself.”
“Really, it’s fine. My eyesight is excellent. I have nothing else to do anyway, so just wait for a bit, and I’ll bring it quickly.”
What is this brat going to say now?
Considering there had already been opposition within Mount Hua to retrieving the sacred artifact, bringing this brat to Mount Hua was out of the question.
“Well, if you insist.”
Lee Seon quickly changed his attitude, licking his lips with his tongue.
“What will you give me?”
Hyeonjo hesitated.
“Do you have anything in mind?”
Lee Seon answered without hesitation.
“An elixir. And a really good one, at that.”
“…You already seem to have plenty of internal energy.”
“It’s still far from enough.”
Mount Hua’s martial arts?
While it piqued his interest, he hadn’t yet mastered the Flame Emperor’s Thousand Poisons Art.
He didn’t have the luxury of diverting his attention elsewhere.
What he needed most right now was internal energy.
It wasn’t acceptable to end up completely drained every time he used the Flame Emperor’s Thousand Poisons Art.
“Greed isn’t a good thing. From what I can see, even if you consume an elixir now, it won’t be of much use to you.”
“The more elixirs you consume, the better they are, you know.”
Lee Seon seemed to understand why Hyeonjo said this.
As a Mount Hua elder, he was ultimately still a Daoist.
Although Mount Hua was more secular compared to other Daoist sects, it wasn’t wealthy.
That much was clear just by looking at Hyeonjo’s unassuming attire, which didn’t prioritize appearance.
“…You don’t have money, do you?”
“Ahem.”
Hyeonjo’s face flushed as his true thoughts were exposed.
In Murim, elixirs generally fall into three categories.
First, inner cores, found in the bodies of spiritual beasts like the Human-Faced Spider, which have lived for a long time.
Second, spiritual herbs, which absorb the energy of nature and contain tremendous power.
Lastly, pills, such as the Great Rejuvenation Pill or Supreme Purity Pill, which are created by humans through significant resources and rare materials.
Things like Ice Essence or Azure Jade Oil are so legendary that they aren’t even worth mentioning.
“…I can’t give you the Purple Heaven Pill. That’s beyond my authority.”
Pills, although slightly less effective, are still elixirs.
The energy of elixirs is unrefined and can run wild during absorption, posing a risk of qi deviation.
Pills mitigate that risk by refining the energy, making them more stable.
“That’s unfortunate.”
The Purple Heaven Pill was a pill created by Mount Hua and strictly controlled even within the sect.
It wasn’t something a mere elder could freely hand out.
“Then, is there any other elixir you can give me?”
Hyeonjo’s lips trembled slightly.
“…I’ll find a way to gather some funds.”
After all, this boy was the benefactor who saved his one and only disciple.
Skimping on the reward would be tantamount to saying his disciple wasn’t precious to him.
“No, there’s no need for that.”
However, Lee Seon declined as if to say it wasn’t necessary.
“As a fellow martial artist, I’ve always deeply admired Mount Hua. I wouldn’t want to receive an elixir bought with money an elder of Mount Hua had to beg for.”
Hyeonjo’s eyes turned red with emotion.
Such thoughtfulness and warm-heartedness.
As a martial artist himself, he understood better than anyone how difficult it was to forgo the chance to obtain an elixir while considering others.
“Then, is there anything else you desire?”
Hyeonjo’s tone softened considerably.
Gotcha.
Lee Seon internally cheered.
The elixir had merely been a ploy to draw out what he truly wanted. He wasn’t shameless enough to demand the Purple Heaven Pill outright.
What he really wanted was something else entirely.
“I’d like to see that sword you mentioned with my own eyes.”
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