Chapter 69: Robbing the Robbers (3)

*Fuuu…*

The four students sat cross-legged, facing the wall, each engrossed in cultivating their internal energy.

Judging by the shimmering heat haze above their heads, they were successfully absorbing the energy from the elixirs.

“That takes care of the most urgent issue.”

Internal energy was what they lacked the most.

While talent could compensate for a lack of experience in most areas of martial arts, cultivating internal energy required time and effort.

“It’s not just about the time spent training, but also the difficulty of obtaining elixirs.”

Even for the Seven Great Clans, elixirs were rare and precious.

Only those who had reached the position of successor or a comparable rank could obtain them.

His four students might receive support from their clans in the future, but if they obtained elixirs too late in life, the effects would be diminished.

“It’s best to consume them while you’re young and your Qi is pure.”

As one aged and impurities accumulated in the body, the effectiveness of elixirs decreased.

“Maybe they’ll be less of a handful now.”

This wasn’t the first time he had given them elixirs.

He had previously shared small portions of his own Daehandan.

But those were temporary measures to boost their performance.

He couldn’t openly enhance their internal energy.

“I can’t have them radiating Daehandan energy in the middle of the Shinmu Academy.”

The Daehandan was a treasure of the Shaolin Temple.

It would be troublesome if someone recognized its energy.

He could always kill anyone who recognized it, but he had a strong aversion to getting involved with the Shaolin Temple, thanks to some unpleasant memories.

“Those bald bastards preach non-violence and refuse to use sharp weapons, but they have no qualms about bashing people’s heads in with iron bars.”

He had once turned several of his subordinates into headless ghosts, thanks to those monks.

Just thinking about them gave him nightmares.

“Well, I need the rest of the Daehandan for my lover anyway.”

But he still felt a bit unsatisfied.

This was a rare opportunity to address their internal energy deficiency, a problem that could hinder their progress in the long run.

“Maybe I should give them a little boost.”

He decided to help them.

*Swoooosh…*

A dark blue haze emanated from his fingertips.

*Swoooosh…*

The black Qi filled the chamber, and the elixir energy surged, becoming even more potent.

“I never thought I’d use this here.”

Heavenly Destruction Society.

He was actually grateful to them for this.

***

*Fuuu…*

Namgung Yun-ho exhaled slowly and unconsciously placed his hand on his lower abdomen.

‘My internal energy…’

He could feel a powerful force swirling within him, unlike anything he had ever experienced before.

He had always struggled with his internal energy.

‘I thought I would always be plagued by a lack of internal energy…’

He never imagined he would receive such a blessing.

“How do you feel?”

He turned to see the instructor watching him with a smile.

A surge of gratitude welled up inside him, and he bowed deeply.

‘I’m so grateful to him.’

He would never be able to repay this debt.

He pressed his forehead to the ground, but the instructor’s voice was filled with alarm.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

“Why are you bowing to me?”

“I’m just using you. There’s no need to be grateful.”

The instructor was still the same.

He usually acted like a mischievous imp, but he became flustered whenever someone expressed genuine gratitude.

Namgung Yun-ho, not wanting to make him uncomfortable, raised his head.

“I feel light as a feather. I’m overflowing with energy.”

“Get used to it. You have a long way to go.”

“I’ll work hard.”

As they were talking, Mo Yong So-hye opened her eyes.

“Whew, what was that?”

“What do you think? A precious elixir bestowed upon us by the thief.”

Jegal Tan, who had recovered next, looked confused.

“This is incredible. Twenty years worth of internal energy… I can’t believe it.”

“Twenty years?”

Jegal Tan, who had experience with elixirs, seemed to understand their effects accurately.

‘It feels like more than twenty years…’

It felt much deeper and more profound.

But Jegal Tan was probably right.

“You’re lucky.”

“This isn’t just luck. This is… this is…”

He was so overwhelmed that he was speechless. It was a rare sight to see his usually composed friend stammering.

“Instructor, am I going to become a super expert now?”

“Of course! The legend of Dongcheon Hall’s Iron Fist is just beginning.”

“Oh, come on.”

Namgung Yun-ho chuckled as Mo Yong So-hye pouted. He suddenly felt a surge of amusement.

He touched his lips, surprised to find them curving upwards into a smile.

‘Have I always smiled this much?’

He was inexplicably happy these days.

There was a minor commotion.

“Thanks to the instructor, my lower abdomen feels heavy!”

Baek Ri-seol’s unfortunate choice of words earned her a flick on the forehead from the instructor.

“Ow! That hurts! It’s killing me!”

The Ice Flower of Dongcheon Hall.

She was acting so unlike her usual cold and aloof self that her nickname, the Winter Fairy, seemed ironic.

***

“We’ve got everything.”

Mo Yong So-hye glared at the instructor as he laid out their loot.

“You already took care of everything?”

“Yes, isn’t it perfect?”

The gold, which had been in the form of exquisite ornaments, had been melted down into a single lump.

‘When did he…?’

The instructor’s abilities were mysterious.

Even if it was gold, it wasn’t easy to melt it down and reshape it like this.

“This is my secret stash.”

“Are you going to build a village with your secret stash?”

“A friend of mine is planning to settle down in Muhan City soon. I need to give him some pocket money.”

Baek Ri-seol’s eyes sparkled as she saw the swords at his feet.

“Don’t tell me those are…”

“Yes, I just removed the conspicuous decorations.”

“You’re giving them to me as a dowry! Ow!”

She clutched her forehead and hopped around, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Stop talking nonsense and let’s go. I want to enjoy the rest of my break.”

Who wouldn’t?

They had been dragged on this arduous journey in the middle of the night.

They were all eager to return to their comfortable lives.

Finally, it was time to go home.

***

Cho Un-hwi set fire to the hideout.

He couldn’t leave any traces behind.

Jegal Tan seemed a bit disappointed, but Cho Un-hwi silenced him with a single sentence.

“You’re an accomplice too. It would be even worse if we returned the manuals.”

“What do you mean?”

“You ate the Taechungdan, the Wudang Sect’s prized elixir.”

The Taechungdan.

A legendary elixir of the Wudang Sect, said to be so rare that only a handful remained.

It took ten years of dedicated effort to create a single pill. It was one of the Wudang Sect’s most treasured possessions.

“D-don’t tell me that what we ate was…”

“Yes, it was the Taechungdan.”

“But you said it was an unnamed elixir…”

“I lied.”

He needed an accomplice.

Jegal Tan’s face turned pale.

“Even the Hidden Moon Flying Thief was hoarding it.”

“And you ate it with such gusto. It was delicious, wasn’t it?”

“It’s too late for regrets. It’s already turned into shit in your stomach.”

Jegal Tan, staring at the sky in despair, didn’t mention the manuals again.

“…We have to keep this a secret.”

He bit his thumb nervously.

‘Honestly…’

The instructor was always full of surprises.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter to me.’

He was already in too deep.

He would follow the instructor wherever he led, even if it meant running himself ragged.

‘He’s the one who helped me stand on my own two feet.’

Namgung Yun-ho prayed that he would be able to follow the instructor forever.

***

A few days later…

Gon Ya-pyeong, the Hidden Moon Flying Thief, returned to his hideout and screamed in rage.

“Argh!”

He had sensed something amiss and was rushing back through the forest when he stepped on something.

He looked down and saw a silver needle embedded in his foot, piercing through his leather shoe.

‘A silver needle?’

Why was a hidden needle, meant to be buried in the ground, stuck in a tree branch?

He was puzzled, but he didn’t have time to think.

He felt a tingling sensation in his foot. It was poisoned.

He flipped in midair, grabbing onto a tree branch to regain his balance.

He was about to use the momentum to swing himself up and activate his Floating Cloud Steps, but then he felt a sharp pain in his hand.

“Argh!”

Someone had planted hidden weapons in the tree branches too.

It was as if they knew exactly how he would react.

He lost his balance and fell to the ground, crashing through several branches.

He landed with a thud, needles piercing his body.

He hadn’t even had a chance to activate his Floating Cloud Steps.

His bat-like wingsuit, designed to enhance his movement technique, was torn and useless.

He was falling fast, and he felt a wave of dizziness.

**Thud!**

He landed face-first, his body sprawling on the ground.

He looked like a frog that had fallen from the sky.

“Who the hell…?”

He gritted his teeth.

He staggered to his feet and stumbled towards his hideout.

His face drained of color as he approached.

He had suspected it when he saw the black smoke rising from the distance.

His hideout was gone.

“No… this can’t be happening.”

He had lost all his secret manuals, treasures, swords, and most importantly, the elixirs he had recently acquired.

*- Cooperate with us.*

The people who had offered him the elixirs had been suspicious, but the elixirs were real.

Even he, who could identify treasures with uncanny accuracy, had never seen elixirs of such high quality.

“Argh!”

He had been saving them, unsure of their motives.

“My elixirs!”

They had been reduced to ashes.

He should have just eaten them.

But that wasn’t the only problem.

*- We have a job for you.*

Those suspicious people wouldn’t let him off the hook now that they knew he had lost the elixirs.

“Damn it! Damn it!”

He punched the wall, his lips trembling with rage.

‘This is bad.’

They had easily discovered his whereabouts, even though the Murim Alliance had been unable to track him down.

He had to erase his tracks and disappear before they realized what had happened.

He whimpered, his body wracked with pain and grief.

“Whoever did this, I’ll find them and tear them to shreds.”

His rage burned silently in the desolate mountains.

***

“Achoo!”

Cho Un-hwi rubbed his nose.

“What’s wrong? Is my nose itchy?”

“Instructor Cho, do you have a summer cold?”

That was impossible.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had been sick.

“My ears are itchy too.”

Yeo Mae-hong giggled.

“Someone must be talking about you behind your back.”

“That’s strange. I’m a law-abiding citizen. Why would anyone talk about me behind my back?”

“I don’t think so.”

A voice came from behind the wall.

“I can name several people who are probably cursing you right now.”

“Who would be so evil as to curse me?”

Yeo Mae-hong answered without hesitation, “First, Head Instructor Chung-hyeon.”

“Ah.”

“He was furious when you disappeared without a word.”

“…I’ll admit that.”

“Then there’s Sister Mo Yong. She thought you and her sister had eloped because you disappeared without a trace.”

“…”

He had no excuse.

She continued to list names: the Baek Ri Clan, the Jegal Clan, his fellow instructors, and even some experts from the Murim Alliance’s External Division.

“And lastly, me. I was so worried when you suddenly disappeared!”

She added that if Dokgo Yul hadn’t intervened, they would have issued an emergency summons.

“…I apologize.”

It had been an impulsive trip.

He understood their concern, but he also felt a bit wronged.

He had volunteered his precious time, and now he was being scolded for it.

“The Murim’s code of conduct has fallen to the ground!”

“I think it’s your conscience that’s fallen to the ground, Instructor Cho.”

“Don’t worry so much.”

He thought he heard a faint whisper, but he ignored it.

“The Murim’s code of conduuuuct!”

He ripped his bedsheets in frustration.