I never imagined Seong Dochun would find his way to this cave.
So the rumors about him being holed up in the Medicinal Herb Garden, refusing to see anyone, were false...
It seems Seong Dochun has been patrolling the area with his Spirit Hound every night.
His discovery of this cave could be pure chance, or perhaps the Spirit Hound picked up the scent of Spirit Medicine lingering in the cave, or even the blood of the men who had been here. There are many possibilities.
What matters is that he's here.
I tensed, determined not to let Seong Dochun take Liu Yangmei. I would use every resource at my disposal to kill him here and now.
"So it was you bastards! The ones who poisoned the well and stole the medicinal herbs and Spirit Pills!"
The two men in bamboo hats immediately split apart, widening their stance and assuming a combat posture, sensing Seong Dochun's murderous intent.
Seong Dochun's suspicions were justified. The men's attire bamboo hats and pitch-black robes concealed their identities, making them look suspicious to anyone.
Moreover, the Hat Men had been attempting to assault the fallen woman. To anyone watching, it was clear they were the villains.
"Steal the Spirit Pill? You're mistaken. We have nothing to do with what you're talking about. Leave. We don't want to fight you," said the Hat Man with a back wound, the one they called "Leader."
All the men, including Seong Dochun, were at the Five Qi Stage. However, the Hat Men were not in peak condition. If a fight broke out, Seong Dochun would likely win.
If we're going to strike, it has to be Seong Dochun. We must kill him.
"Grrr..."
The Spirit Hound beside Seong Dochun bared its teeth and growled. The men in bamboo hats flinched.
"Nonsense! I'll capture you all, interrogate you, and uncover your true purpose and identities!"
Seong Dochun's mind seemed to be reeling with fury. Having survived poisoning only to have all his Spirit Medicines stolen, his rage was understandable, even if misdirected.
"Leader, this guy... he's at the same Five Elements Qi stage as us."
"Indeed. He's not someone we can afford to underestimate. And... since he's seen us, we have no choice but to kill him here."
"Damn it! Nothing's going right!"
The Hat Men began to circulate their Internal Energy.
Seong Dochun didn't remain idle either. He glared at the men with wide, furious eyes, channeling his own Internal Energy.
"With that kind of power, you must have broken into the Medicinal Herb Garden, stolen the Spirit Pill, and neutralized the poison! Don't expect to die peacefully!"
Seong Dochun, the Spirit Hound, and the Hat Men clashed in battle. Surprisingly, the Spirit Hound fought with remarkable skill, its front paws glowing with a bluish energy.
What the fuck? A dog using sword qi?
I never thought I'd find myself envying a mutt.
Clang! Kaang! Kang! Clang!
The clash of swords echoed through the cave. They fought fiercely, wielding Ganggi a potent energy capable of slicing through steel with ease.
What was truly remarkable was that despite the intensity of the battle, not a single stray attack reached Liu Yangmei. It was as if they had all agreed to leave her untouched.
I immediately grasped their intentions.
Yangmei had become the center of their struggle.
Liu Yangmei possessed a beauty that drew the eye at first glance. Now, completely defenseless and unconscious, she looked all the more vulnerable.
Dream on, you greedy bastards. Yangmei is mine to protect!
I watched their movements, gauging the perfect moment to intervene.
The Illusioner's remaining time was approximately two minutes. I had to ambush Seong Dochun within that window.
"Ugh... to die here...!"
The Hat Leader collapsed to the ground, uttering his final, anguished words. The Spirit Hound pounced immediately, tearing into the leader's neck. The kill was thorough and decisive.
"Damn it!"
Seong Dochun swiftly grabbed the Spirit Hound's tail and yanked it backward. He had intended to capture the Hat Men alive for interrogation, but it was too late. They had been dead for too long.
"Hah... hah...!"
Left alone, the One-Armed Man gasped for breath, his eyes darting nervously toward Seong Dochun.
Seong Dochun was in no better condition. His body was covered in cuts and tears, blood pooling on the floor. The gash on his thigh was particularly severe, forcing him to limp and move with difficulty.
"Wait! Hold on! You've got the wrong idea!"
"Wrong idea? What wrong idea are you talking about?!"
"We're not thieves! We never poisoned the well or stole any Spirit Pills!"
"This dog is a Spirit Hound. It detected the scent of Spirit Pills here. You still deny it? We'll find out the truth through interrogation."
"We were just chasing after this woman!"
Seong Dochun's gaze fell upon Liu Yangmei. He hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"...That woman is also a suspect!"
"Do you even know who this bitch is before spouting such nonsense?"
"Her identity will be revealed during interrogation..."
"The Blood Flower of Hegemonic Blood City! Liu Yangmei is this very woman!"
"Hegemonic Blood City...?!"
Seong Dochun staggered back.
Hegemonic Blood City was a force far surpassing the Meteor Sword Sect. If they so desired, they could obliterate the Meteor Sword Sect in a single night.
"D-do you think I'd believe such a claim?"
"Can't you see it in her face?!"
"..."
Seong Dochun glanced at Liu Yangmei and nodded slowly.
"...If you weren't here, no one would ever know."
Seong Dochun's expression turned cold. He had resolved to kill the One-Armed Man and silence him for good.
"Damn it!"
Sensing the shift in momentum, the One-Armed Man hurled his bamboo hat at Seong Dochun. The hat expanded like a wall, completely obscuring Seong Dochun's vision. When Seong Dochun struck with his sword, the blade was deflected.
"A Magic Tool! Sic 'em!"
"Grrr!"
The Spirit Hound lunged, clamping its jaws around the One-Armed Man's right ankle.
"Aaaah! You mutt!"
The One-Armed Man crashed to the ground. He kicked wildly at the Spirit Hound.
"Whine..."
The Spirit Hound was sent flying backward.
The One-Armed Man scrambled to his feet, desperate to escape the cave, but Seong Dochun's sword pierced his chest.
"I'll take the woman for questioning myself. Tell King Yama in the underworld I said hello!"
"Y-you'll regret this...!"
"Regret? Heh... What nonsense... Ugh..."
Thud.
Moving with momentary speed, I instantly closed the distance and plunged the Hwaryeon Flying Dagger into Seong Dochun's back. He coughed up blood and twisted around to glare at me.
"Another one...?! There was another one all along...!"
Seong Dochun didn't recognize me. He rarely left the Medicinal Herb Garden and hadn't even shown his face at the initiation ceremony, so we'd never met before.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Lord of the Medicinal Herb Garden. I've heard so much about you. I'm Sung Yujin, recently inducted into the Meteor Group."
"Sung Yujin?! Aren't you the Sect Leader's son?! How dare you attack me?!"
Seong Dochun gripped his sword in reverse, preparing to swing it at me.
I twisted the dagger embedded in his back, effectively blocking his counterattack.
"Ugh...!"
"Heh heh heh. Did you enjoy the poison in the well?"
"...What?!"
"Lord of the Medicinal Herb Garden, the Spirit Pills you concocted were remarkably delicious. Heh heh heh."
"You bastard! So you were the thief all along!"
I tightened my grip on the Hwaryeon Flying Dagger and brought it down in a swift arc.
"Rest assured, I'll toss your head to my father. You can die in peace."
"Aaaaaaaah! You unfilial wretch...!"
Hot blood splattered. I withdrew the dagger and decapitated the dead Bamboo Hat man and Seong Dochun's head. A perfect double-tap. I wouldn't make the same mistake twice.
Grrrrrr.
The Spirit Hound snarled at me.
"Ah, you mutt. You were still here."
As I raised the dagger and assumed a fighting stance, the Spirit Hound immediately lunged. True to its nature as a Spirit Beast, it seemed to sense my inferior strength.
This dog is at least at the Will Manifestation Stage. But cultivation realm isn't everything in battle.
The Spirit Hound was wounded from the earlier fight, while I remained unscathed.
The Spirit Hound lunged at me, its claws crackling with blue Qi.
Momentary.
I sidestepped the attack and swung my sword. The hound's thick hide prevented a deep cut, but that didn't matter.
Thunderbolt.
Crackling!
Dozens of crimson lightning bolts erupted from my blade, engulfing the Spirit Hound. The red lightning seared its hide, burrowed into its flesh, and ravaged its internal organs. With the Crimson Lightning reaching its brain, the Spirit Hound had no chance of survival.
Yelp!
The Spirit Hound collapsed to the ground. I severed its neck to ensure its death.
Huff...
I glanced at Liu Yangmei lying unconscious nearby and muttered, "Young Lady, rest assured. I've slain every last one of those vile creatures. No, this isn't the time to dwell on that. I'll dispose of these corpses first. Hygiene is paramount for a patient's recovery..."
"Disposal" was a simple matter. I placed the corpses in boxes and stored them in my inventory. Later, I'd dump the Bamboo Hat men's bodies in a remote mountain valley. As for Seong Dochun and the Spirit Hound, I planned to sever their heads and toss them into Seong Godan's pavilion.
The Meteor Sword Sect's atmosphere will be in utter chaos, but I won't even be considered a suspect.
Seong Dochun, the Lord of the Medicinal Herb Garden, had reached the Five Elements Qi stage. With someone of his caliber dead, there was no way I, who had only reached the Entry Stage, would be blamed.
Seong Godan will suspect an external attack or perhaps their own Elders. The Elders, in turn, will suspect Seong Godan, given their strained relationship with Seong Dochun.
Of course, these would remain mere suspicions. In reality, they'd be powerless to act. They wouldn't find any real clues, and restoring order to the sect would take precedence.
After thoroughly disinfecting the cave, I approached Liu Yangmei. She lay on the ground, gasping for breath, her body drenched in sweat.
"Young Lady, I must administer emergency treatment. I regret having to adjust your clothing, but this is necessary for your recovery."
Working quickly, I loosened her sweat-soaked crimson robes and moved the bloodied fabric aside just enough to reach the wound on her side.
Her condition was alarming. Sweat covered her skin, and a dark sword wound marred her side. If left untreated, the wound would fester and worsen.
"The wound is severe, but Young Lady, there's no need to worry. I possess an extraordinary medicine crafted in another world."
I retrieved a potion from my Inventory, one I had previously enhanced using the Bright Ascension Chart, and poured it over the wound on her side. The gash began to heal almost instantly.
Though I had used a high-grade recovery potion worth over a billion won, I felt no regret.
If a billion won can save someone like this, it's a bargain.
I left her internal injuries untreated. They weren't life-threatening, and healing them completely now would only complicate matters if she woke up too soon.
I wiped the blood from her body with a clean cloth and checked for any other serious injuries.
"...Young Lady, your undergarments are soaked with sweat and blood near the wound. I'll shift them only as much as needed to finish treating you."
I carefully adjusted the damp fabric away from the injured area.
The skin around the wound and along her lower abdomen was damp with sweat and grime. After days of fighting and fleeing, that was only natural.
She must have been poisoned and spent days fighting and fleeing, unable to properly wash.
I understood Liu Yangmei's condition well enough.
"Don't worry, Young Lady. I'll take care of it."
First, I activated the Auto Camera. Then, using warm water and a clean cloth, I washed away the sweat, dirt, and blood from the parts of her body that needed treatment.
I cleaned her hands and feet and carefully washed the rest of the grime from her body without aggravating her injuries.
"Now you're nice and clean. That should help keep the wound from worsening."
I took fresh bandages from my Inventory and secured them around her side, then covered the areas I had exposed during treatment.
Nodding in satisfaction that the treatment was complete, I said, "That should do for now. Next..."