In Your Current State, That Is

Just as Gyo-ha was about to speak, Baek Gun-ak’s expression hardened.
Jegal Tae then let out a low groan.
Gyo-ha soon understood why.
A presence that made his skin crawl.
Its owner did not seem interested in restraining it.
Baek Gun-ak furrowed his brow as though a headache had arrived.
Jegal Tae stepped forward in his place.

“I will speak with him.”

However, Baek Gun-ak shook his head.

“He seems determined to make a scene, so it will likely be pointless.”

The owner of the presence soon arrived outside the door.

“Alliance Leader, may I come in?”
“…Come in.”

The door flew open the moment Baek Gun-ak finished speaking.
A man stood in the doorway.
He appeared to be in his mid-forties.
He looked to be around Baek Gun-ak’s age.
His presence was in no way inferior to Baek Gun-ak’s.

“Alliance Leader, I have something to say, so I came despite the discourtesy.”

His words were courteous, but they were not how one addressed the leader of an organization one belonged to.
He seemed to regard Baek Gun-ak as an equal.
“Welcome, Patriarch Moyong.”

Only then did Gyo-ha realize the man’s identity.
He was a man who belonged to the Twelve Heavens alongside Baek Gun-ak.
It was Sword Emperor Moyong Cheon.
He was also the grandfather of Moyong Min, whom Gyo-ha had fought.
Gyo-ha tilted his head as he looked at him.

“I see you had a guest.”

Moyong Cheon’s gaze fell upon Gyo-ha.

“We had just finished our conversation, so it is fine. Young Hero Gyo, I will send someone to inform you of the details.”

It was a dismissal.
Gyo-ha nodded and prepared to leave.
However.

“Young Hero Gyo, was it? You must be Gyo-ha of Kunlun.”

Gyo-ha had no choice but to stop at Moyong Cheon’s call.
눈동자에 닿은 피부에 소름이 올라왔다. 그의 눈은 마치 뱀과 같았다.

“I heard that one of our children was discourteous to you. I apologize on his behalf.”
“It’s all right.”

Gyo-ha shook his head.

“However.”

That single word changed the atmosphere.
Gyo-ha’s Taoist robe fluttered despite the closed door.
It felt as though a snake had coiled around Gyo-ha’s body.

“You are concealing a sinister power.”
“Moyong Cheon.”

Baek Gun-ak called his name quietly, but Moyong Cheon did not even look back.
He stared only at Gyo-ha.
Gyo-ha smiled brightly.

“Aren’t you the same, Mister?”
“What did you say?”
“I have a good nose.”

Gyo-ha sniffed the air as he looked at Moyong Cheon.

“It’s neither Yokai Qi nor Heretical Qi, but it smells similar.”
“You speak nonsense.”
“Should we test it here, then?”

Gyo-ha smiled fiercely.

“Young Hero Gyo.”

It was Jegal Tae. His voice carried a warning.
He was telling Gyo-ha not to provoke him any further.

“Patriarch Moyong, you must also have heard about the Kunlun Sect. I will not tolerate any more than this.”

Baek Gun-ak released his presence as well.
The furniture shook as it collided with Moyong Cheon’s.

“Patriarch Moyong, do not test my patience.”
“…Test?”

Moyong Cheon slowly turned his head.
Baek Gun-ak’s and Moyong Cheon’s eyes met. The room fell silent as though space itself had frozen.
Even the sound of breathing vanished beneath the pressure of their presences.
Gyo-ha felt himself beginning to suffocate.
Meanwhile, Jegal Tae signaled with his eyes, telling him to leave quickly.
Gyo-ha smiled awkwardly, swallowed his disappointment, and walked away.
Only after moving far from the Alliance Leader’s office could he breathe properly again.

“They really are no joke.”

He still had a long way to go.
The Twelve Heavens.
He had experienced their power indirectly.
At that moment, he saw people running toward him from afar.
They were elders and Unit Leaders who had sensed the two men’s presences and rushed over.
Among them was someone he had met recently.
Moyong Hwi.
Gyo-ha waved cheerfully, but Moyong Hwi looked away.

“Taoist Gyo.”

Someone beside Moyong Hwi stepped forward instead.
Gyo-ha tilted his head at the vaguely familiar face.

“Ah, from Wudang?”
“I am Jeong Hyeon.”

He was the Wudang elder Gyo-ha had met in Lanzhou.

“What in the world happened?”

Gyo-ha scratched his cheek at the question.

“I’m not really sure either. Patriarch Moyong arrived, and then I was sent out.”

That alone was enough.
Several people clicked their tongues upon hearing that. Some even glanced accusingly at Moyong Hwi.
Judging by their reactions, this was apparently not the first time something like this had happened.

“You’ve had a rough time. Go inside and rest.”

Jeong Hyeon patted Gyo-ha on the shoulder.
Gyo-ha nodded and walked away.

While Gyo-ha was resting after returning to his quarters, someone came for him again.
However, he had not been summoned to the main pavilion where the Alliance Leader’s Hall was located.
It was a small garden behind the Murim Alliance compound.
When Gyo-ha arrived, Strategist Jegal Tae was waiting for him.

“…Are you all right?”

Gyo-ha had not expected him to come personally, but Jegal Tae looked strange.
Only several hours had passed, yet Jegal Tae looked as though he had aged ten years.

“There is no need to concern yourself.”

Jegal Tae gave a hollow laugh.
Even that laugh seemed pitiful.
Jegal Tae rubbed between his brows as he spoke.

“It concerns the request the Alliance Leader made earlier. Things have become somewhat complicated.”
“Huh?”
“You are familiar with our Alliance’s units, are you not?”

Gyo-ha nodded.

“Originally, we intended to entrust the mission entirely to the Black Tortoise Unit. You would probably have found it easier to work with them as well.”

Jegal Tae stroked his beard.

“However, Patriarch Moyong stubbornly insisted that you could not be trusted.”

Despite also belonging to one of the Five Great Clans, Jegal Tae clearly held no fondness for Patriarch Moyong.

“Then?”
“If you accept the mission, personnel will be selected from both the Black Tortoise Unit and the Azure Dragon Unit. The Black Tortoise members should be fine, but those coming from the Azure Dragon Unit…”
“They will be there to watch me, right?”

Jegal Tae looked at Gyo-ha in surprise.

“You are sharper than I expected.”

Gyo-ha smiled awkwardly at Jegal Tae’s praise.
In truth, it was because Jegal Tae’s expectations of Gyo-ha’s intelligence had been that low, but Gyo-ha failed to realize it.
Considering everything Gyo-ha had done until now, it was an understandable assessment.

“Still, thanks to you, we learned something new.”

When Gyo-ha tilted his head, Jegal Tae continued.

“I mean what you said earlier. Patriarch Moyong also knew about Yokai Qi.”

That meant he also knew about yokai.
Jegal Tae stroked his beard.

“He would not have reacted that way if he knew nothing.”

Had he been facing Jegal Tae or Baek Gun-ak, he would not have revealed such an opening.
It had only been possible because his opponent was Gyo-ha.
Jegal Tae finished muttering and turned toward him.

“As the Alliance Leader said, this mission is not compulsory. You are not even a member of the Murim Alliance in the first place.”

The choice belonged to Gyo-ha.

“I’ll do it.”

Gyo-ha readily nodded. He had already been curious about the humans said to wield Yokai Qi.
They sounded as though they might be strong.
Jegal Tae sighed when Gyo-ha accepted without even considering it.

“Courage is admirable, but you should be cautious when making decisions.”

When Gyo-ha blinked his large eyes, Jegal Tae shook his head.

“Never mind. I merely talk too much as I grow older. Your departure will be four days from now.”
“Four days?”

That was longer than expected. It meant he would have to remain here for four more days.
Jegal Tae spoke as he looked at him.

“It is for your sake.”
“Pardon?”
“You will understand soon.”

Jegal Tae turned after saying that.
His steps were as light as though he were taking a stroll, yet he vanished in an instant.
Then, two days later.
Gyo-ha understood what he had meant.

“Damn. Had I known you were here, I would have brought more poison.”

Rather than expressing delight upon seeing him, the man immediately voiced his disappointment.
It was the Poison Physician, Tang Ja-gyeong, whom Gyo-ha had met at the Tang Clan.

“And what happened to that miserable arm of yours?”
“Hall Master.”

The Tang Clan martial artist beside him hurriedly tried to stop him. Tang Ja-gyeong clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“I know. I know.”

The martial artist sighed and looked at Gyo-ha.

“Please understand, Taoist. That is how he expresses his delight.”
“Tsk. Stop spouting nonsense and go see the Patriarch.”
“But…”
“But nothing. Or should I put you to sleep right here?”

Gyo-ha smiled as Tang Ja-gyeong drove the martial artists away.
He was as vigorous as ever.
Once the martial artists were gone, Tang Ja-gyeong shook his head.

“Ehyu, those nagging fools. More importantly, what have you been doing for that stiff-necked Jegal fellow to ask me to look after you?”

Gyo-ha’s eyes widened.
He had not expected Jegal Tae to make such a request.

“Not that I wasn’t planning to see you even without his request.”

With that, he held out his hand toward Gyo-ha.
When Gyo-ha merely stared at him, Tang Ja-gyeong clicked his tongue.

“Give me your arm. Your arm. I have to examine it before I can decide whether to fix it or leave it alone.”
“Oh.”

Only then did Gyo-ha extend his arm.
Tang Ja-gyeong skillfully removed the cloth and examined the injury.

“…You tried to mix energies that conflict with one another. That was madness. Moreover, one of them is ferocious beyond measure. It may produce tremendous power in the short term, but it eats away at your own flesh.”

As expected of one of the Three Great Physicians, he understood Gyo-ha’s condition at a glance.
However, a different part of the explanation caught Gyo-ha’s attention.

“Then does it become more powerful?”
“What? You used it without even knowing that?”

Tang Ja-gyeong stared at Gyo-ha in disbelief.

“I lacked internal energy, so I simply used whatever was available.”

Tang Ja-gyeong furrowed his brow at Gyo-ha’s answer.
He could imagine what sort of situation Gyo-ha had been in.

“That doesn’t mean you can recklessly use anything you find.”

He had already noticed the nature of Gyo-ha’s power.
That was why he had sent the other martial artists away.

‘…I was told to hide it.’

What was the point when everyone he passed seemed able to recognize it?
Gyo-ha decided not to worry about it.
Meanwhile, Tang Ja-gyeong continued examining Gyo-ha’s injury.
When Gyo-ha stared blankly, Tang Ja-gyeong pulled something from his robe.

“If you are bored, chew on this.”

It was a dark-red herb that looked ominous at a glance.

“…What is it?”
“A poisonous herb. It is quite rare and only grows around here.”
“……”

Gyo-ha cautiously brought it to his mouth.
His face immediately contorted.

“…It’s too bitter.”
“Is that all?”
“Yes.”

When Gyo-ha nodded, Tang Ja-gyeong clicked his tongue.

“Ordinarily, your entire mouth would go numb before you could even taste it. Your resistance has certainly increased since before. I should’ve kept you back then.”

Tang Ja-gyeong smacked his lips regretfully.
He lowered Gyo-ha’s arm.

“It will be difficult to heal, won’t it?”
“Yes.”

Gyo-ha had already expected that answer, so he was not disappointed. Tang Ja-gyeong stared at him before continuing.

“In your current state, that is.”
“Pardon?”
“We must force it back into its original shape. I don’t know whether it’ll recover, but with your regenerative ability, there is a chance.”

Gyo-ha’s eyes widened.
Treating it directly was impossible, but they could create the conditions that would allow his body to heal itself.

“Of course, the chance is small. I cannot remove every tiny fragment of bone.”

He could only remove the pieces large enough to see.

“Moreover.”
“Moreover?”
“We cannot use anesthesia, so it’ll hurt like hell. I’ll cut open your flesh, take out the bones, and set them back into place. What will you do?”

An ordinary human would die before the operation was finished.
Even if it succeeded, there was no guarantee that the arm would heal.
Tang Ja-gyeong explained the situation without softening it.
But Gyo-ha’s answer had already been decided.

“Please do it.”

The corners of Tang Ja-gyeong’s mouth rose at Gyo-ha’s answer.

“Good. Wait here for a moment. I will find some restraints. There should be some that were once used to confine prisoners.”

Tang Ja-gyeong sprang to his feet. For some reason, he looked excited.
Gyo-ha tilted his head as he watched Tang Ja-gyeong hurry away, then noticed something strange.

“Restraints?”

He soon learned what that meant.

“…! …!”

Deulsseok, deulsseok.
Gyo-ha heaved against the chains binding him.

“Hey, hold him properly. He’s making my blade shake.”
“Y-yes, sir.”

Two martial artists threw themselves against Gyo-ha, but they couldn’t stop him from moving.

“Wh-what kind of strength is this?”
“Damn it. You made me cut the wrong spot.”
“…!”

A silent scream rang out.

“Tell more of those men outside to come in!”

The operation was even more painful than Gyo-ha had imagined.
In the end, it took not only Tang Clan martial artists but even members of the Namgung Clan to restrain him before the operation could be completed.