Chapter 340
The middle-aged nun, Myo-Ryong, turned ashen as she struggled for words.
"Sh-Shinni has... passed away." [Note: Emei Sects are not very popular in terms of the available manhwa out there, so I'm not very familiar with their salutations. So what I'm about to say may be wrong. "Ni" typically means "nun" or what a Buddhist nun would be referred to as, and "Shinni" would be the female equivalent of Abbot, essentially making her the head honcho of the Emei Sect, as Hong Dao was the leader of Shaolin.]
Those words sent my fists clenching, an involuntary reaction as despair weighed heavily on my heart.
Two Qingcheng Sect elders, sensing trouble, hastened over. Their faces were etched with disbelief.
"Myo-Ryong, what do you mean? Shinni has passed away?"
"That can't be! Impossible!"
I already knew who Shinni referred to.
Shinni, a master of the previous generation, was etched vividly in Jeok Cheon-Gang's memories.
'She had a fiery temperament. Unyielding in front of enemies and her martial arts were exceptional. There was a time when she even surpassed that lazy bastard, Hong Dao.'
She was feared by the Demonic Cult as the Blood Rakshasa during the Great Faction War, and revered in the Murim of Zhongyuan as the Heaven-Stunning Shinni. [Note: Rakshasa refers to a demonic being in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. Rakshasas are often depicted as fierce, powerful beings with a penchant for diruption and destruction. Also, the direct and most descriptive translation for "Heaven-Stunning Shinni" is "the Nun Who Shocks the Heavens".]
While other heroes vanished into history, she stood unyielding on Emei Mountain, a bastion of strength.
She was a Transcendent Master and the respected leader of the Emei Sect.
Now, the Heaven-Stunning Shinni was dead.
'First the Poison King, and now the Heaven-Stunning Shinni.'
It was a damnable turn of events.
The question finally broke free from my lips.
"Who murdered her?"
"...!"
"...!"
Myo-Ryong, Goong Gi-Bang, Hyuk Mu-Jin, and the two elders of the Qingcheng Sect.
All eyes turned towards me, filled with surprise.
"A murderer?"
"Could it be that the Heaven-Stunning Shinni was murdered…?"
The two elders of the Qingcheng Sect were at a loss for words, realizing too late the current state of Myo-Ryong they had failed to notice in their initial shock.
Her clothes were stained with dried dark blood, and her complexion was blue.
With widened eyes, she met my gaze, then bowed her head in resignation.
"Young Master Jin also knew."
Also?
Goong Gi-Bang nodded solemnly under my inquiring look.
"I couldn't help it. The monster who assassinated the Heaven-Stunning Shinni..."
"It must be the same person or related to the one from the Tang Family of Sichuan. That's my thought too."
Realizing there was something they didn't know, the elders asked urgently.
"You knew this was an assassination? Has there been a disaster at the Tang Family of Sichuan too?"
"Tell us everything. Quickly!"
The truth could no longer be concealed.
Perhaps this chain of events had been set in motion since the Poison King's assassination.
Drawing a deep breath, I began.
"A few days ago, Poison King Tang Sa-Mun passed away. Well, he was actually murdered."
"...!"
"The Family Head, the Ten Thousand Poisons Shura, declared revenge and must be pursuing the culprit with his family by now."
But the Poison King wasn't the only victim.
Ignoring the elders' shock, I turned to Myo-Ryong.
"What happened?"
"He was a middle-aged man with one arm."
"One arm?"
"Yes. He was, he was..."
A trembling voice escaped from Myo-Ryong's lips.
"He was the Malevolent Ghost." [Note: the term used here is 악귀(惡鬼) which can roughly be translated to "demon" in English. In Buddhist traditions, such spirits are sometimes considered to be beings who are suffering due to their past actions and are bound to the cycle of samsara (rebirth) until they attain liberation.]
* * *
Shhhh!
A gust whipped through, unsettling the scenery.
The nun in my arms was alarmingly light, and her energy was barely flickering.
'For her to have come this far in such a condition...'
Before she could finish her story, Myo-Ryong vomited a shocking amount of blood and fainted.
Goong Gi-Bang, following me closely, asked with a somber tone.
"How bad are her injuries?"
"Severe. I've managed to infuse some energy to stimulate her vitality, but it's not enough."
Goong Gi-Bang let out a soft groan.
"She wasn't this bad when we started. She insisted she could endure it."
"Still, you should have stopped her, you bastard."
"...I couldn't. I'm sorry."
I opened my lips and then clamped them shut.
I understood. Even if I had been there instead of Goong Gi-Bang and Hyuk Mu-Jin, stopping Myo-Ryong would have been impossible.
Her words, uttered through bloodied lips, echoed in my mind.
'The Sect Leader and three elders, all perished by the hands of the Malevolent Ghost. We... we couldn't pursue the laughing fiend.'
The Malevolent Ghost had descended upon Emei Mountain, known as a Buddhist holy site, just three days ago.
Disguised as an ordinary pilgrim, the Malevolent Ghost climbed the mountain and found the current residence of the Heaven-Stunning Shinni, where three elders happened to be present.
What followed was an earth-shattering battle. Peaks crumbled, and Emei Mountain itself trembled.
Myo-Ryong, who had rushed to the scene upon noticing the calamity, saw four dead nuns and the Malevolent Ghost.
'There's nothing to see. My method of killing was simply stronger than the Buddha's teachings of Emei.'
'How could you do this! Aren't you afraid of the heavens?'
'That's funny. The Buddha and heavens you speak of are all lies and illusions. I will show you another heaven.'
That was the end of it.
Following a palm strike to Myo-Ryong, the Malevolent Ghost vanished. Goong Gi-Bang and Hyuk Mu-Jin later found the mournful Emei Sect.
Despite protests, Myo-Ryong, determined after learning of the Qingcheng Sect's proximity, descended from Emei Mountain.
'Please help. Please! We must capture the Malevolent Ghost at all costs... Cough!'
Even as she lost consciousness, Myo-Ryong's plea was firm. I gritted my teeth as I remembered her tear-filled eyes.
'Who exactly is this bastard...'
A one-armed man, his martial skills formidable enough to single-handedly annihilate the Heaven-Stunning Shinni and three elders. [Note: pun intended.]
His goal, and whether he was the same man who murdered Poison King Tang Sa-Mun, remained unclear.
'What if they aren't the same person?'
This chilling possibility sent shivers through me.
If this were true, Sichuan was on the brink of becoming a mass grave.
As I pondered this, the two elders of the Qingcheng Sect spoke up.
"We should part ways here."
"I'm sorry, but the circumstances are not favorable for us now."
Their decision, while regrettable, was understandable.
After the Tang Family of Sichuan and now the Emei Sect, it seemed logical the Qingcheng Sect might be next.
"There's no need to apologize. I would have done the same."
"Thank you for understanding."
"Are you heading straight to Qingcheng Mountain?"
The senior elder shook his head.
"This old man will lead some disciples to assist the Emei Sect. My colleague will return to the main mountain with the rest. And you?"
"I need to find a doctor for Myo-Ryong, as her injuries are more severe than I thought. After that, I plan to contact the Tang Family of Sichuan."
Both the Tang Family of Sichuan and the Qingcheng Sect were now like empty mountains. I had to warn the Tang Family to be prepared for an ambush.
The elder, understanding the situation, replied,
"Focus on treating Myo-Ryong first. We will send someone to the Tang Family of Sichuan."
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it. I wish you martial luck."
"Likewise."
We bowed to each other and parted ways in three directions.
Now, only four of us remained.
'Ah, there were also Jeok Cheon-Gang and Myo-Ryong.'
I had come to Sichuan to treat a patient, but instead of finding the Divine Doctor, I had added another patient to my roster.
'What is this, a hidden camera show?'
Wait...It can't be...
I was about to resume walking when I heard footsteps.
Crunch. Thud.
A young boy humming a tune was climbing the mountain path, halting in surprise when he noticed us.
"Huh? Oh?"
A familiar face. The boy's name was Mun-Kyung.
I was glad to see him again so soon, but something had to be dealt with right now.
"Mun-Kyung."
"Oh, hello! What brings everyone here...?"
"You're a medical student, right?"
I remembered him treating people on the deck of a ship.
Though I didn't know the specifics of the treatment he provided, according to the crew, he was quite skilled.
"Yes, but..."
Mun-Kyung's confusion cleared as he saw Myo-Ryong in my arms, understanding the situation immediately.
Mun-Kyung, equipped with his medical bag and a box of acupuncture needles, approached with urgency.
"Quickly, please. Let me evaluate her condition."
* * *
Swish.
Mun-Kyung's examination was both rapid and methodical.
Despite his adeptness, his expression was grave.
"How is she?"
I braced myself for grim news.
Mun-Kyung's slight head shake confirmed my fears.
"Not good. Really not good."
"Is she at least somewhat stable?"
"Yes."
I sighed in relief.
I hadn't expected miracles from Mun-Kyung. He was still young and relatively inexperienced.
What I wanted was to stabilize her enough to get going.
"You've done what you can. We'll head to Chengdu as fast as possible to find a solution..."
"Are you sure about that?"
"What?"
"In a month, her flesh will decay, and in four months, her bones will melt."
"Wait, what are you talking about..."
Mun-Kyung spoke with unsettling calmness.
"She'll endure terrible pain for half a year, then deteriorate like a living corpse. After a year, her organs will rot, and she'll die."
"What?"
"Even if you go to the capital, there won't be a solution. Clinics found in the private sector only know how to treat gynecological diseases that only high-ranking officials suffer from. And the Tang Family of Sichuan..." [Note: my interpretation of this sentence is that Mun-Kyung is saying that no one in the city is equipped to treat something like this. All they will find in the capital are incompetent doctors and doctors who treat the STDs of rich people.]
I was shocked twice.
First, at the severity of Myo-Ryong's condition.
And second, at Mun-Kyung's bleak prognosis.
"Rumors say the Tang Family's warriors headed west. It will take days for them to return. By then, it'll be too late. How long has she been injured?"
Hyuk Mu-Jin faltered before responding.
"Three- a little over three days."
"Three days..."
Mun-Kyung, with a heavy voice, continued after a soft groan.
"The Black Hand Seal is a terrifying martial art technique. Once seven days pass, there's no remedy that could turn fate."
Thump!
I had reached my limit of restraint. As my patience exhausted, I seized him by the collar and shook him gently.
"You... how the hell do you know that?"
Mun-Kyung, just a teenager, was speaking of a martial technique unknown to the rest of us.
It defied what I believed possible from the Mun-Kyung I knew.
"Speak. Now."
My intense demeanor frightened him, causing Mun-Kyung to gulp before responding.
"M-my master told me all about it."
"Your master?"
"Yes. Yes! Cough!"
A sudden realization struck me.
I loosened my grip on his collar.
Under my breath, almost a whisper, I murmured.
"The Divine Doctor...?"
Tags:
Murim Login (Novel)