Episode 28
This whole affair began when Ma Jong-hwan, one of the era’s most renowned doctors known as the “Life-and-Death Monster,” was commissioned by Go Ju-yong, the leader of the Black Elephant Gang—one of the Eight Great Clans of Guizhou and ruler of the southwestern region of Guizhou Fortress—to concoct a miraculous elixir.
Ma Jong-hwan, promised a generous reward, delivered an elixir of exceptional quality, living up to his reputation. His skill was so extraordinary that Go Ju-yong proposed Ma Jong-hwan join the Black Elephant Gang.
But Ma Jong-hwan, famed as the top wandering doctor in the martial world, had no interest in pledging allegiance to some backwater lord of Guizhou.
Naturally, he refused. This rejection bred resentment in Go Ju-yong.
Determined to find leverage against Ma Jong-hwan, Go Ju-yong investigated and discovered that Ma was secretly preparing a special elixir pill using his own unique formula.
In truth, Ma Jong-hwan had accepted Go Ju-yong’s commission to fund the creation of this elixir pill.
Upon learning this, Go Ju-yong couldn’t just sit idly by. He tracked Ma Jong-hwan in secret, waiting until the elixir pill was complete before ambushing him.
Though Ma Jong-hwan was no weakling in martial arts, he barely escaped with the elixir pill in hand. Unfortunately, his two children were not so lucky.
His two daughters—or, as some rumors suggested, a son and a daughter—were captured by Go Ju-yong.
Naturally, Go Ju-yong used them as hostages to threaten Ma Jong-hwan.
“Hand over the elixir pill quietly if you want to save your children,” he demanded.
In such a situation, any ordinary father would have reluctantly exchanged the elixir pill for his children’s safety. But Ma Jong-hwan was no ordinary man.
His temper was so irritable that even his nickname included the character for “monster.”
Furious, he refused to hand over the elixir pill. Instead, he did the unthinkable—he placed a bounty on Go Ju-yong’s head, offering five of his own elixir pills, each surpassing the power of the summoning pill.
Startled, Go Ju-yong hastily gathered the Black Elephant Gang’s forces and began pursuing Ma Jong-hwan.
If he slipped up, he could become a target for far more formidable martial artists.
Now, to survive, Go Ju-yong had no choice but to capture Ma Jong-hwan as quickly as possible.
After I finished explaining all this, Bi Sa-young looked at me with a dissatisfied expression and asked,
“I get the story, but what does that have to do with us sneaking around inside the Black Elephant Gang’s walls during our precious leave?”
I scolded him with a stern expression.
“Sa-young! Are you telling me that, as a disciple of a prestigious orthodox sect, hearing such an injustice doesn’t stir your blood? If that’s the case, I’m deeply disappointed! I’ve always taken pride in learning the secret techniques of a renowned orthodox sect, and yet you…!”
At that, Bi Sa-young squeezed his eyes shut and surrendered.
“Alright! Enough already! I get it, I get it!”
Just then, Bae Jong-gwan, standing nearby, opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off with a solemn look.
“As a disciple who has mastered the Diamond Invulnerability Heart Technique of the famous orthodox sect, Geumgangbulgoe, you must agree with my intentions, right?”
Bae Jong-gwan, about to speak, closed his mouth again and nodded with a downcast expression.
At that moment, Seol Poong, the squad leader, muttered with a resigned look,
“I’m not exactly orthodox myself…”
“Anyway! That’s why we’ve come all this way—to establish true justice in this utterly unjust and cruel situation!”
Of course, I wasn’t above hoping to receive a few of those elixir pills afterward, but that was a minor detail.
Justice was what truly mattered.
Seol Poong muttered something about coming for a good fight, but I pretended not to hear.
Then Bi Sa-young asked,
“But even if that’s true, isn’t it strange that we’re here? Shouldn’t we have gone to find Ma Jong-hwan himself and helped him? Why are we here instead?”
I waved my finger and answered.
“Tsk, tsk. Think carefully. Why didn’t Ma Jong-hwan exchange the elixir pill for his children? Why did he put a bounty on Go Ju-yong instead?”
“Hmm… Because he’s irritable?”
Bi Sa-young’s answer wasn’t entirely wrong.
In fact, everyone in the martial world believed that.
I, too, wouldn’t have known otherwise, had I not retained memories from my past life.
But knowing what was to come, I quietly countered,
“If Ma Jong-hwan had handed over the elixir pill, do you think Go Ju-yong would have truly freed Ma’s daughters and him? It’s not about the few pills he has now, but about the fact that Ma can keep making them.”
“…Huh?”
“Ahhh!”
“Now that you mention it!”
Go Ju-yong, who had just recently betrayed a business partner, had no intention of keeping his promise.
Bi Sa-young’s eyes widened in realization.
“So Ma Jong-hwan knew Go Ju-yong wouldn’t keep his word?”
“Exactly. And there’s more. By doing this, Ma made Go Ju-yong feel that his daughters were worthless as hostages—he made him lose interest.”
“Ahhh, I see.”
“Indeed. Now, Ma’s daughters have vanished from everyone’s attention. All focus is on the elixir pill and Go Ju-yong.”
Seol Poong and Bi Sa-young nodded, impressed.
Bae Jong-gwan glanced at me, still confused, but I decided to let it slide.
Understanding this right now wasn’t crucial.
In fact, in my previous life, Ma Jong-hwan’s plan was half successful.
A powerful martial artist who came seeking the real elixir pill annihilated Go Ju-yong and his men.
But when Go Ju-yong died, his enraged son, Go Mu-sang, killed Ma Jong-hwan’s daughters, turning the whole affair into a tragedy.
At that time, Ma Jong-hwan swore through tears of blood to serve whoever would utterly destroy the Black Elephant Gang.
And his vow was fulfilled when the Black Elephant Gang disappeared entirely.
Seol Poong, now serious, said,
“Then our first task is to rescue Ma Jong-hwan’s daughters.”
As expected of the squad leader.
I smiled and nodded.
“That’s right, squad leader.”
Bi Sa-young then asked,
“But how? The Black Elephant Gang is one of the Eight Great Clans of Guizhou Fortress, one of the most powerful sects in the region. Can we really do this alone? And how do we even know where the girls are being held?”
Good question.
We had just visited the Hao Sect branch to find out.
“Well, normally it would be impossible. But right now, Go Ju-yong has taken most of the gang’s forces out on a mission. In other words, the place is practically empty. Plus, after asking the Hao Sect, we narrowed down the possible locations where the girls might be held to three: the dungeon, the warehouse, and a secret storage room in Go Ju-yong’s residence. We’ll split up and search all three.”
I drew a rough map of the Black Elephant Gang’s compound on the dirt floor, marking the three locations.
“The dungeon is probably the most heavily guarded. So, squad leader, you take the dungeon. Sa-young, the warehouse is the least busy, so you handle that. I’ll check the secret storage in Go Ju-yong’s residence.”
Both the squad leader and Bi Sa-young’s eyes lit up as they nodded.
Then Bae Jong-gwan looked at me nervously and asked,
“Uh, what about me? What should I do?”
I met his gaze firmly and answered,
“Good question, Jong-gwan. You’ll be doing the most important task—something only you can do.”
“The… most important task?”
At the Black Elephant Gang’s main gate, eight warriors wearing Taoist beads stood guard, yawning.
“Two nights in a row on night duty. My whole body aches.”
“Not only that, we have to stand watch again tomorrow. If that Life-and-Death Monster isn’t caught soon, we might be on duty forever.”
“Just thinking about it is awful. That raccoon-like bastard is causing us so much trouble. I hope they catch him soon.”
“Hmph! Strictly speaking, it’s not his fault. It’s the gang leader’s greed for that elixir pill. And dragging all the men out just to catch one guy—that’s on the leader too.”
“Hey, are you crazy? What if someone hears you?”
“Who’s going to hear? It’s just us here. Speaking of which, I heard the Life-and-Death Monster’s kids are really pretty. Maybe we should sneak over when no one’s around and have a little fun?”
“Ha ha ha! You’re really crazy.”
As they chatted, a massive shadow appeared in the dark clearing ahead.
“Wait! What’s that?!”
“Huh?!”
The gate guards tensed, watching the shadow approach.
Soon, they realized it was a hulking, muscular giant.
The imposing figure strode steadily toward the main gate.
Once it was clear the giant’s destination was the Black Elephant Gang’s gate, one guard shouted,
“Stop! Identify yourself and your business! What’s going on at the Black Elephant Gang at this hour?!”
The giant halted and said,
“I am Bae Jong-gwan of the Geumgangbulgoe Sect! Having long admired the Black Elephant Gang, I came straight here upon descending from the mountains! I request to meet the gang leader!”
The guards exchanged bewildered looks at the sudden and unexpected request.
“Geumgang… What did you say? Geumgangbulgoemun?”
“You came to join the sect? In the middle of the night?”
“And you want to see the sect leader? Are you out of your mind?”
But Bae Jong-gwan, who had been strictly ordered by Sun Woo-jin to be utterly shameless, paid no mind to their reactions.
He just shouted louder.
“I’ve traveled a long way to get here! Let me see the sect leader at once!”
One of the guards frowned at the booming voice and tried to reason with him.
“Listen, if you want to join, come back during the day. Causing a ruckus at this hour will only raise suspicions. Besides, how do you expect to meet the sect leader now? Even we rarely get to see him.”
The guard’s words were perfectly logical.
It was a tough question for Bae Jong-gwan to answer on the spot.
But Sun Woo-jin had already told him to ignore complicated questions like that.
So Bae Jong-gwan completely disregarded the guard’s words and shouted again.
“I am Bae Jong-gwan, disciple of Geumgangbulgoemun! Let me see the sect leader! I said, let me see him now!”
Only then did the guards realize something was off about this guy.
Their expressions darkened as they began to threaten him.
“Shut up! If you really want to join, come back during the day! Cause any more trouble and we’ll cut you down!”
Bae Jong-gwan let out a genuine snort of laughter.
“Cut me down? You? Ha ha ha! That’s rich!”
His loud, mocking laughter only infuriated the guards further.
The warriors of the Black Top Sect were not known for their patience.
“This guy really needs to see blood before he comes to his senses!”
One of the guards shouted and charged at Bae Jong-gwan, drawing his sword.
“Hah!”
But the moment he swung, he immediately sensed something was wrong.
Clang!
“Ugh?!”
The sensation and sound of his blade cutting through something was off.
It was as if he’d struck an iron pillar—the sword vibrated with a strange buzzing pain in his hand.
While he was stunned, Bae Jong-gwan glared at him fiercely and said,
“Looks like you’re the one who’s really going to get cut!”
Then, with one hand, he grabbed the guard’s body and hoisted him up.
“Waaah! Hey, you—!”
Clang! Clang! Clang!
No matter how much the guard struck Bae Jong-gwan’s arm with his sword, it was useless.
Only the sound of metal being struck rang out.
Bae Jong-gwan, still holding the guard, hurled him forcefully toward the main gate.
The guard screamed as he flew through the air.
“Ahhhhh!”
Bang!
The main gate shook violently with the impact.
The guard hit the ground, flattened like a frog, and slid down to the floor.
A body that only made metallic sounds when struck, and the strength to throw a man like a stone with one hand.
The gate guards could no longer underestimate him.
They drew their swords and surrounded Bae Jong-gwan immediately.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
“Don’t move!”
“How dare you cause trouble at the Black Top Sect’s main gate!”
Bae Jong-gwan shouted back, sounding wronged.
“Who’s causing trouble?! You were the ones who tried to cut me first!”
At that moment, the main gate swung open and Yo Jeok-sam, the patrol captain of the Black Top Sect, rushed out.
“What’s all this commotion?!”
The guards brightened at the sight of their leader.
But Bae Jong-gwan was the first to speak.
“I am Bae Jong-gwan of Geumgangbulgoemun! I came to join the Black Top Sect, but these men attacked me without cause!”
This was also Sun Woo-jin’s instruction.
If a high-ranking person appeared, claim you were attacked unfairly.
Yo Jeok-sam’s eyes widened as he looked at the guards.
“Is this true?”
The guards began sweating nervously and stammering excuses.
“N-no, well….”
Under the quiet night sky, a loud voice echoed along with a faint thud.
It seemed Bae Jong-gwan had started the commotion.
Glancing left and right, he said briefly,
“Let’s go!”
Dressed in black, we sprang up like a mythical bird and slipped over the walls like stealthy night cats.
Not a sound betrayed us.
We exchanged glances and silently acknowledged each other before scattering in our assigned directions.
Mine was straight ahead.
Moving stealthily between buildings, I encountered almost no one.
It was clear the Black Top Sect was nearly deserted.
Still, I carefully avoided the occasional passerby and finally reached the three-story pavilion with proper security.
That had to be the sect leader’s residence.
Four guards stood at the main gate, and another four patrolled around the building.
The perimeter was tight.
It seemed safer to infiltrate from the back rather than the front gate, so I quietly hid behind the building, waiting for an opening.
But the patrol guards’ vision had no blind spots.
They moved like interlocking gears.
I suddenly recalled the books I’d read in my father’s study.
Some were about assassination techniques.
Books on stealth and infiltration methods.
What did they say?
The best tactic for infiltration was to strike the east to distract the west, or something like that.
I slipped away and climbed onto the roof of a quiet building nearby, then returned shortly after.
I waited.
I’d removed a roof tile and hung it by a blade of grass, which would soon snap under the weight.
Then the tile would fall.
Crack!
“What was that?!”
“Who’s there?!”
The patrol guards shouted and rushed toward the noise.
“What? A tile fell?”
“Why would a perfectly fine tile just fall?”
“Maybe it was damaged in the last strong wind. We should report it to the inner courtyard for repairs.”
“Geez, you scared me. The front gate’s already noisy enough.”
After checking the tile and turning back, they didn’t notice I had already slipped inside through a second-floor window.
The window was barred, but releasing a silent blade of energy to cut the latch was no problem.
The second floor of the pavilion was empty.
I moved silently and climbed the stairs to the third floor.
The sect leader’s quarters were said to be on the top floor.
It was quiet there as well.
The Black Top Sect leader, Go Ju-yong, hated visitors and kept everyone away from his chambers.
It seemed that was true.
I smiled with satisfaction and gently opened the sect leader’s door.
Inside, my eyes met those of a young man sitting naked on the bed.
“Gasp!”
Both of us stared wide-eyed, utterly shocked.