It was no surprise to find Sam An-bul locked up in the dungeon. After all, he was affiliated with the Demonic Cult, so it was only natural for him to be imprisoned.
However, the sight of Namgung Myung and Hong Geolgae made Dang Moo-jin’s heart race.
“They must have been caught trying to rescue me. I need to get them out as soon as possible.”
Just then, he overheard Namgung Myung grumbling.
“If you weren’t just a first-rate fighter and had surpassed the pinnacle like me, being one person short wouldn’t have been a big deal. None of those three were stronger than me.”
Hong Geolgae retorted, clearly annoyed.
“Do you think I want to be stuck here because I can’t surpass the pinnacle?”
“The pinnacle isn’t that great anyway. If you set your mind to it in the morning, you could probably surpass it by evening. Now that I think about it, it’s strange. Why is everyone around me only first-rate? Such coincidences are rare.”
Dang Moo-jin’s perspective shifted. Perhaps there was no urgent need to rescue them.
”…Maybe just showing my face to reassure them would be enough.”
As Dang Moo-jin was about to approach Namgung Myung and Hong Geolgae, he heard Hong Geolgae’s voice again.
“Suddenly, I’m wondering if coming to Cheonsan was a mistake. I’ve always lived freely, and now I’m stuck in a dungeon, which is so unlike me.”
“See? I told you. If you think about it, it’s the fault of the one who got caught. If you got yourself caught, you should figure out how to get out on your own. That’s the way of the world. It’s what they call ‘resolving the knot you tied yourself.’”
“Hmm. I guess you’re right.”
Dang Moo-jin reconsidered. There was no need to even show his face.
It wasn’t that he found their conversation particularly irritating. The real issue was that those two were idiots.
If he showed himself, at least one of them would likely blurt out something tactless.
Something like, “Dang Moo-jin! What a surprise! Did you come to rescue us?”
Such a reaction would ruin everything.
Dang Moo-jin shook off his concerns and reached a calm, rational conclusion.
“Let’s head back for today. I was only here to confirm the location of the prison.”
With light steps, Dang Moo-jin left the dungeon.
When Dang Moo-jin returned to Dokhyeol, Mok Wana approached him hesitantly.
“What’s up? Something on your mind?”
Mok Wana hesitated for a moment before asking, “Are you planning to leave?”
Dang Moo-jin pondered for a moment. He still didn’t fully trust Mok Wana.
Their relationship was complicated, but Mok Wana was a disciple of the Martial Arts Faction within the Demonic Cult.
And while the cult leader was disguised as a member of the Doctrine Faction, he actually had significant support from the Martial Arts Faction. It wouldn’t be surprising if Mok Wana had some connection to the cult leader.
However, Dang Moo-jin trusted his instincts. At the very least, Mok Wana wasn’t the type to scheme maliciously. If he had been, he wouldn’t have asked so directly.
“Not today. But I’ll be leaving soon.”
Hearing this, Mok Wana hesitated before speaking up with newfound courage.
“Have you been uncomfortable here lately?”
“No, not really.”
“Then, have you thought about staying in Cheonsan? How about living like this?”
Unbeknownst to himself, Mok Wana was feeling anxious.
In his life, Dang Moo-jin was the first person he could talk to so freely.
Everyone needs someone to talk to. Mok Wana wanted to hear many stories and share his own.
His emotions were complex yet immature.
They were not feelings that could be easily defined, like ordinary interest in another person, curiosity about someone from afar, admiration for someone who lived a different life, and the friendship and affection that had grown over their time together.
All these emotions were tangled together.
Mok Wana was inexperienced in expressing his feelings and had never lived in an environment where he could do so. Thus, he had always kept his emotions tightly bottled up.
But emotions don’t disappear just because they’re suppressed. People need to express their feelings, and Dang Moo-jin was the first outlet Mok Wana had ever encountered, essentially his only means of connection. It was only natural that Mok Wana’s complex and varied emotions were projected onto Dang Moo-jin.
If he had never met someone to talk to, he might have endured it.
But the thought of that outlet being closed off again was suffocating. Mok Wana needed at least one person to be with. He didn’t ask for much more. Just one person.
However, Dang Moo-jin wasn’t in a position to grant Mok Wana’s request, nor was he perceptive enough to understand Mok Wana’s true feelings.
“No, I have to go back.”
In that single sentence, Mok Wana realized the distance and the completely different circumstances between him and Dang Moo-jin.
Dang Moo-jin belonged outside Cheonsan and was merely passing through. In contrast, Mok Wana belonged to Cheonsan.
Mok Wana recalled the time he was slapped for not putting the experimental tools back in their place. It was a day he learned that everything in the world should be in its rightful place.
Dang Moo-jin asked, “Why? Do you want to come with me?”
Mok Wana hesitated for a long time before shaking his head slightly.
“No, I don’t know.”
The world outside still seemed daunting.
Even going to the village alone felt overwhelming, so how could he venture to a faraway place?
Dang Moo-jin replied, “I see. Well, staying here is probably safer. I don’t think it’ll be easy to leave smoothly.”
Mok Wana gave a bittersweet smile.
After that, Dang Moo-jin frequently left Dokhyeol. It was a simple plan, but there was much to prepare and consider.
And while Dang Moo-jin was away, Mok Wana heard a whistling sound from outside the cave.
It was the day he regularly received the Byeokgokdan.
When Mok Wana stepped out of the cave, a familiar man handed him a box containing the Byeokgokdan. As Mok Wana accepted the box, the man asked, “Anything unusual?”
Though he hadn’t mentioned it to Dang Moo-jin, Mok Wana had a small task. He was to report any suspicious behavior from Dang Moo-jin.
It wasn’t that they distrusted Dang Moo-jin. It was just standard procedure to keep an eye on outsiders.
Mok Wana shook his head.
“Nothing in particular.”
“Nothing? You’ve been researching the poison for a while now. How’s that going?”
“There doesn’t seem to be any significant progress.”
“Really? Hmm…”
The man squinted at Mok Wana.
“Make sure you don’t miss anything. One mistake might be forgiven, but two won’t go unnoticed.”
“Yes.”
On the day Dang Moo-jin dealt with the man in the straw hat and clashed with the Great Protector, Mok Wana received a warning through the man.
It was incredibly fortunate that it ended with just a warning. Given that a pinnacle martial artist had died due to Mok Wana’s failure to report Dang Moo-jin’s suspicious behavior, severe punishment would have been expected.
The only reason Mok Wana wasn’t punished was that they still needed someone to keep an eye on Dang Moo-jin.
“I hear you’re getting along well with him. Why not try to get him to stay in Cheonsan? It’d be good for both you and us, right?”
“Yes.”
“Good. If you understand, then do your best.”
The man patted Mok Wana on the back and sent him on his way.
Mok Wana returned to Dokhyeol, set down the Byeokgokdan, and retreated to his small space, crouching down.
In the past, he would have immediately reported everything he knew.
But now, Mok Wana felt strangely detached, as if reality was slipping away.
He had recently realized that he didn’t have much to lose.
Mok Wana knew his limitations well. He wasn’t someone who would leave a significant mark on the world, nor could he survive alone in the outside world.
He would likely continue living a life similar to the one he had now, without any special events, just existing without joy or sorrow.
A life that, while breathing and alive, wasn’t much different from being dead.
“If that’s the case, maybe I don’t have much to lose, even if I die.”
No matter what happened, keeping silent was the greatest kindness and resistance Mok Wana could offer.
Three days later, late at night.
The time for action had come. Dang Moo-jin awoke and quietly got up. Next to him, Mok Wana was sound asleep.
Nothing special had happened. When Dang Moo-jin mentioned he would be leaving the next day, Mok Wana insisted on staying up to chat, eventually claiming the spot next to him.
At first, Mok Wana had chattered away, and Dang Moo-jin worried they might stay up all night talking and ruin everything.
But that concern was unfounded. Mok Wana’s chatter soon dwindled, and he eventually fell asleep, seemingly lost in thought. Thanks to that, Dang Moo-jin was able to get a good night’s sleep.
Dang Moo-jin spoke to the sleeping Mok Wana.
“Take care.”
There was no response. When Mok Wana awoke, he would find Dang Moo-jin’s place empty.
Dang Moo-jin stretched, gathered his prepared belongings, and left Dokhyeol. His time in Cheonsan was over.
He headed to the location of the dungeon, a natural fortress surrounded by dense stone pillars.
Fortunately, there were no guards watching the outside. Guards were meant to suppress resistance from within, not fend off threats from outside.
Dang Mujin carefully climbed onto the roof of the prison and set down the sack he had brought with him.
“I need to hurry.”
Without wasting a moment, he sprinted toward the Cult Leader’s Hall.
Lately, more and more people had been lurking around the hall and the main altar of the cult. It was as if they were waiting for the right moment to pounce, like scavengers eyeing a meal. But even those bold enough to linger during the day wouldn’t dare approach the hall at night. That’s why Dang Mujin had chosen the dead of night for his plan.
With a vial of poison in his mouth, he leaped onto the roof of the Cult Leader’s Hall. The guard bird, which had been dozing off, snapped its eyes wide open and stared at him.
Dang Mujin poured the venomous insects he had transferred into a small pouch into the bird’s feeding bowl, then nudged it just out of reach. The bird would have to get up to eat.
“Come on, eat up.”
He hoped it wouldn’t stubbornly refuse to move, thinking it was still incubating its egg.
Dang Mujin watched the bird intently, a bit on edge.
Caw—
His worries were unfounded. The bird let out a crow-like cry, stood up, and began to eat ravenously.
In the spot where the bird had been sitting, a nest cradling an egg the size of a human head was revealed.
“Perfect.”
Dang Mujin quietly approached, lifted the entire nest with the egg, and jumped down from the hall, moving as far away as possible before the bird finished its meal.
Just before he slipped out of the bird’s sight, he raised the nest high.
“Look! Your egg is right here!”
The bird stared at him, seemingly confused about what he was holding. It returned to its usual spot, but something felt off beneath it. Something was missing.
Only then did the bird realize what Dang Mujin was holding.
Caw—
For the first time in a year, the mother bird spread its wings and took flight.
Their eyes met. Though the bird’s eyes were dark and unreadable, Dang Mujin could sense the fury burning within them.
The bird swooped down, aiming to snatch him like prey. But Dang Mujin was not so easily caught. He hadn’t mastered his skills just to be captured by a mere bird.
Even with the poison in his mouth, he could feel the deadly aura targeting his back, sending chills down his spine. Yet, at the same time, a thrill coursed through him. Oddly, he felt exhilarated.
Caw— Caw—
Dodging the bird’s talons by a hair’s breadth, Dang Mujin reached the small basin where the prison was located. With one final burst of speed, he placed the nest and egg on the roof and made his escape.
The bird glared at him with fierce eyes. It wanted nothing more than to catch and kill the human, but the egg’s safety was more pressing.
The bird settled onto the nest on the roof, feeling the familiar comfort of its egg beneath it. And in front of the bird lay a sack filled with food.
Thanks to its characteristically low intelligence, the bird quickly forgot the events that had just transpired.
What mattered to the bird was that its precious egg was safe beneath it and that there was plenty of food within reach.
As the bird focused on its meal, its toxic breath spread through the dark basin.