Chapter 60

'He was definitely said to be a defrocked monk...'

Only then did Cheong-ra notice something strange about Nam Gang-ryong's martial prowess. For a defrocked Shaolin monk, now that he thought about it, not only was his dantian (the dantian is a central concept referring to an energy center within the body. It is often depicted as a focal point where a martial artist or cultivator stores and cultivates their inner energy, or qi. The dantian is typically located in the lower abdomen and plays a crucial role in the development of martial arts skills and supernatural abilities. Cultivating a strong and healthy dantian is essential for achieving higher levels of power and mastery) not destroyed and his tendons not cut, but his martial arts were formidable enough to be on par with a top disciple. While harboring doubts, Cheong-ra quickly rolled away to help Nam Gang-ryong. Seeing this, Dang Ran-yeong clicked his tongue briefly.

Then a fist, too fast to be seen, struck Nam Gang-ryong's face. There was a loud thud, so intense it was hard to believe it was flesh hitting flesh. Nam Gang-ryong crashed into the corner of the room with a loud bang.

Startled, Cheong-ra jumped up and blocked Dang Ran-yeong's path. As he was about to draw his sword, a firm hand pressed down on the back of his hand.

"Devotee Baek Ri, just a moment..."

"Monk Gang-ryong! Are you alright?"

"...Don't draw your sword."

Nam Gang-ryong, who had stopped Cheong-ra's action, staggered to his feet. Blood trickled down from his temple where the fist had struck, though it was unclear exactly what had happened. Dang Ran-yeong stared at the bleeding forehead with an expressionless face, but his eyes were filled with clear killing intent. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly as he watched the blood flow. Cheong-ra was shocked to see such killing intent directed at his own associate.

However, that was all. As time passed, the murderous aura in Dang Ran-yeong's eyes gradually subsided. The sinister smile that had played on his lips slowly disappeared. Nam Gang-ryong watched him carefully and then asked,

"Lord Owner Dang, are you back to normal now?"

"...The air in the Hengshan Sect is really irritating."

Dang Ran-yeong muttered, glanced at Cheong-ra once, and then left the room. Seeing this, a sigh of relief escaped Nam Gang-ryong's lips. He relaxed his body, which had been tensed like a rock.

"Monk Gang-ryong, you're bleeding a lot. Let's sit down first."

Though greatly perplexed, Cheong-ra worried about Nam Gang-ryong's condition and helped him sit down. While Dang Ran-yeong's sudden change in attitude and Nam Gang-ryong's apparent familiarity with the situation were puzzling, treating the injury was the priority. Fortunately, Cheong-ra's luggage contained wound medicine that his uncle had packed in abundance, worried about his nephew getting hurt. As he was taking it out, Nam Gang-ryong casually said,

"Devotee Baek Ri, the Tang Clan's wound medicine is particularly effective for external injuries."

"Pardon?"

When Cheong-ra didn't immediately understand and asked again, Nam Gang-ryong glanced towards one corner of the room. There was one of Dang Ran-yeong's travel bags.

"If you search the right corner of that bag, you'll find Lord Owner Dang's wound medicine. It's in a small white container."

Even for a defrocked monk, it seemed odd for him to suggest theft... Though it felt wrong, Dang Ran-yeong couldn't really complain given what he had done to the man. Cheong-ra found a small ceramic container in the bag. When he opened the lid, the deep and fragrant scent suggested it would indeed be very effective.

Nam Gang-ryong was pressing his sleeve against his forehead to stop the bleeding. Unfortunately, being on the face, blood was streaming down, and Cheong-ra unconsciously clicked his tongue. Luckily, after applying the wound medicine, the bleeding stopped soon.

"Thank you for treating me, Devotee Baek Ri."

"I should be thanking you for your help. But... why did Young Master Dang suddenly..."

Go berserk... No, that's too crude an expression. Did he eat some poison... Come to think of it, he really could have eaten poison. Although he was from the Tang Clan, unless he was completely immune to all poisons, he could still be affected by them, and the Hengshan Sect already had people poisoned with Lost Soul Powder and inner energy-disrupting poison. As Cheong-ra was suspecting the tea Mu-hwa had brought, Nam Gang-ryong said,

"Lord Owner Dang is occasionally possessed by evil spirits."

"What? Evil spirits, you say?"

Cheong-ra asked in disbelief, doubting his own ears. Nam Gang-ryong nodded frankly, his face starting to show a large bruise.

"I had noticed something odd earlier and tried to test him, but it seems he was pretending to be fine. When Lord Owner Dang gets like that, the evil spirits can only be exorcised after seeing blood, so what can we do? As a disciple of the great Shaolin, this much is nothing. Haha."

Nam Gang-ryong laughed generously as he said this, then slipped Dang Ran-yeong's wound medicine into his robe. Then he made the same suggestion as before.

"Devotee Baek Ri. Please escape even now."

"Monk Gang-ryong..."

Cheong-ra sighed, feeling he understood why the other was telling him to escape. The superficial reason he was staying by Dang Ran-yeong's side was to repay his debt by participating in the World's Greatest Beauty Contest. But in truth, he didn't care about the beauty contest at all. Cheong-ra felt a sense of crisis seeing the Hengshan Sect so devastated in just two months.

"...Although it hasn't suffered as much damage as the Hengshan Sect, my sect has already been harmed before. The cause is probably the same mastermind, right?"

Cheong-ra asked, looking straight at Nam Gang-ryong. Dang Ran-yeong and his associates clearly knew who the mastermind Cheong-ra was looking for was, but they wouldn't tell him. Just as Cheong-ra didn't trust them, they didn't trust Cheong-ra either.

"If it's to uncover that mastermind, this much is nothing."

Cheong-ra recalled how his sect's disciples had been addicted to the Enlightened Mind Tea, and how the expelled disciples locked in the underground prison had been secretly killed. Perhaps the people being killed weren't criminals but others.

Moreover, although Nam Gang-ryong seemed to misunderstand, Cheong-ra didn't perceive the humiliating acts he received from Dang Ran-yeong like others did. So this situation was much easier for him to endure, but he couldn't say this out loud. Hearing Cheong-ra's words, the young defrocked monk fell silent and then sighed deeply.

"That devotion to your sect... I understand it well too."

Nam Gang-ryong's face twisted slightly, and a bitter expression appeared.

"I understand it all too well."

In the outside world, it was said that Nam Gang-ryong had become a defrocked monk because of Dang Ran-yeong, but Nam Gang-ryong's dantian and meridians hadn't been destroyed. Also, he wasn't being pursued by Shaolin. In that sense, it was as if Shaolin still recognized Nam Gang-ryong as a direct disciple. Cheong-ra felt there must be a deeper story behind him.

"I respect your will, Devotee Baek Ri. If you need my help, please don't hesitate to ask."

Saying this, Nam Gang-ryong stood up and said to Cheong-ra,

"Whatever happens, I will show you as much mercy as possible."

"Pardon?"

Before Cheong-ra could ask what he meant, Nam Gang-ryong chanted "Amitabha" and left the room. Why does he keep saying such meaningful things to me? Cheong-ra felt very uneasy. Then suddenly, he recalled what Dang Ran-yeong had said earlier.

'Young Master Baek Ri could become my enemy.'

He seemed certain that Cheong-ra would become his enemy in the future for some reason. Should he really escape as Nam Gang-ryong suggested? However, having come this far, he didn't feel like leaving easily.

'If Dang Ran-yeong has harmed someone from Moon Lake Sect...'

He tried to recall if anyone from Moon Lake Sect had died unjustly recently. Apart from the expelled disciples, no one had been killed or suffered an unfortunate accident. Sighing, he made plans to send a message to Moon Lake Sect as soon as they left the Hengshan Sect.

Even after waiting a bit longer, neither Dang Ran-yeong nor the other two showed any signs of returning. Cheong-ra had no choice but to prepare for bed alone. Thanks to his hard work today, he was able to fall into a light sleep quickly.

How much time had passed like that? Cheong-ra, who had been in a light sleep, suddenly sensed a very faint presence and woke up.

Someone was looking down at him in the darkness. As his senses slowly awakened, he could smell the strong scent of blood wafting over. It was ominous, and he became wide awake, but for now, he pretended to be asleep as best he could. An enemy? No, not that. This extremely faint presence was probably, surely...

But soon his mind became hazy. At some point, sleep suddenly rushed in rapidly, his mind became confused, and his body felt heavy. He could no longer tell if this was a dream or reality. He was just breathing slowly and heavily at regular intervals.

There was a cool sensation on the back of his neck, followed by a brushing touch. The hot, feverish sensation was something he had experienced before. The moment he thought the burning body temperature felt somehow familiar... Cheong-ra's eyes flew open and he sat up in bed.

As he wandered through the hazy dream, morning had already come. The bright room was empty. Cheong-ra sighed and rubbed his forehead, which was damp with cold sweat.