Chapter 44, Just Look at These People
On the way back toward the Great Yuan Merchant Group's store, Goeui and Jaha stopped to say goodbye to Magae.
"You gained merit from this incident too. I suppose you'll finally get to go to the Beggar Sect's headquarters like you wanted."
Magae sighed deeply.
"I'd like that, but I don't think it'll be easy. As you know, our sect also suffered serious losses this time. I can't chase after rewards in a situation like this."
"No. Do you think the old beggars of the Beggar Sect won't understand that you fought against Hwancheonma and Ma Gi? You protected Deung Hwahong while fighting monsters like them. Your contribution is significant."
"I hope the seniors see it the same way you do."
"The Beggar Sect has broader and freer thinking than most other sects. You don't need to worry too much."
Magae bowed to Goeui, who was comforting him, then asked,
"Where are you going now?"
It was mostly a polite question.
Unlike ordinary physicians, Goeui did not remain in one place treating patients.
He wandered across the continent like drifting weeds.
Magae only wanted to know where he might be able to find him later.
"This old man will stay with this boy for now."
Jaha was even more surprised than Magae.
"With me?"
Goeui gave him a mischievous smile.
"Why? You don't like the idea?"
"No, it's not that. When I asked you to come to the martial school before, you said you didn't want to."
"I changed my mind."
Goeui could not easily explain why.
After watching Jaha use the Flowing Joint Art and Revolving Joint Formula, he wanted to help Jaha and see how far those techniques could develop.
Jaha had learned them only recently, yet he was already using them more creatively than Goeui himself.
Goeui wanted to witness Jaha develop those martial arts to heights beyond even his own imagination.
Rather than wandering around without purpose, he had decided to stay beside Jaha and help complete his ultimate techniques.
For Jaha, there was no reason to refuse.
"That's fine with me. I suppose it just means one more old man I'll have to support."
Jaha answered somewhat indifferently.
Goeui grinned.
"Consider it a blessing, brat. Where else would you get the chance to serve a master like me?"
Listening to them, Magae thought inwardly,
Senior Goeui is voluntarily staying beside that young man because he has seen Young Hero Byeok's future.
Magae did not say it aloud, but he also believed Jaha would become an important figure.
His judgment of people had rarely been wrong.
Magae also wanted to establish some connection with Jaha.
"Young Hero Byeok, if I gain any merit from this incident, half of it belongs to you. If you ever have a use for this Magae, call me."
Jaha bowed his head.
"Thank you."
Jaha never refused offers like this.
He happily accepted because he believed he could eventually squeeze full value from every connection.
"We're leaving. See you next time."
Goeui gave a lazy farewell and turned away.
Magae respectfully cupped his fists.
"May you remain healthy until we meet again."
Magae smiled as he watched Goeui speaking to Jaha almost as if Jaha were his own grandson.
He had never seen Goeui act like this before.
"Ho."
Goeui called Jaha while they walked.
Goeui had begun calling him affectionately.
No one could complain about it.
Jaha also did not particularly dislike Goeui treating him like a grandson.
Even during his days in the Demon Cult, his father had been his only true family.
Goeui also reminded him somewhat of the Demon Physician, who had cared for him since childhood.
Because of that, he did not feel much resistance to Goeui behaving warmly toward him.
Otherwise, Jaha would have treated Goeui as coldly as he treated Deung Hwahong and most others.
"Yes, Senior."
Jaha had been lost in thought and only responded after being called a second time.
He still was not fully accustomed to the name Byeok Ho, so the affectionate nickname "Ho" sounded even more unfamiliar.
"Are you going to your master now?"
Jaha blinked, unable to understand the meaning behind the question.
"Seriously, look at yourself. Your clothes are soaked red with blood and your entire body stinks of it. I'm sure your master would be delighted to see you like this."
"Ah."
Jaha had not thought about that.
Only after Goeui pointed it out did he realize the problem.
"You're right. I can't go back looking like this."
"There's a brothel nearby that I visit occasionally. Let's wash there before you leave."
Jaha stared seriously at Goeui.
"Senior, you still visit brothels?"
Goeui clicked his tongue.
"You brat. Do you think I go there to chase women? I treat the girls when they're sick. Other physicians often refuse to treat them, so at least this old man does it. And it's also one of the best places to bathe properly."
Because it was a brothel, they had plenty of hot water for bathing.
Thinking about it, Jaha realized Goeui was right.
"Understood, Senior."
As they resumed walking, Goeui said,
"While we're there, you can also enjoy yourself if you want. Going too long without holding a woman can become unhealthy too."
"Hahaha. I'm fine."
Jaha muttered inwardly,
No matter how desperate I become, I'm not going to embrace a prostitute.
Most women did not even attract Jaha's attention.
Even though Deung Hwahong possessed extraordinary beauty and charm, compared to the beautiful women Jaha had seen inside the Demon Cult, she still lacked something.
Perhaps that was another reason he had never fallen for Deung Hwahong's tricks.
For the same reason, even Zhuge Yuyeon's beauty had not affected him much.
This time, they were not rejected at the entrance.
When Goeui entered the brothel, the manager practically ran outside barefoot to greet him.
"Oh, you've come at the perfect time. I was actually going to send someone to contact Senior before you left this area."
"Why?"
"Why else? Some of the girls are sick."
Goeui pitied the prostitutes and occasionally treated them, so he had built a connection with the brothel.
That alone showed he was not actually a cold-hearted person.
If anything, he possessed compassion and knew how to care for unfortunate people.
Maybe that's also why he couldn't refuse Western Gorge Sect Leader Ma Gi's request before.
Jaha wondered if this might also be the reason Goeui was considered a man between the righteous and unorthodox paths.
They received unexpectedly luxurious treatment.
The brothel gave Goeui an entire detached residence.
"Please stay here tonight."
"We don't have much time. Bring the sick girls first. I should at least write some prescriptions before leaving."
"Understood, Senior."
After the manager returned to the brothel, Goeui spoke.
"I'll treat the girls. You go take a bath."
"Understood."
Jaha felt better just thinking about bathing.
During his days in the Demon Cult, whenever he felt like it, maids would serve him while he bathed.
After beginning Byeok Ho's life, however, it had been quite a long time since he enjoyed a proper hot bath.
For someone living in poverty, bathing in hot water was a luxury.
Jaha left the bathing room feeling refreshed and began walking back toward the detached residence.
The matter involving Deung Hwahong was finally over, so his heart felt especially light.
His only regret was that Hwancheonma, someone he wanted revenge against, had stood directly before him and still escaped alive.
Jaha decided that after learning martial arts according to his plan, he would kill every one of them.
The reason he gained such confidence was his battle with Western Monster Saeng Goryang.
Using Goeui's ultimate techniques, he had successfully killed someone at that level.
The Flowing Joint Art and Revolving Joint Formula were clearly techniques capable of exploiting an enemy's carelessness and launching highly effective attacks.
If he later learned all the martial arts of the masters Jagang had mentioned, he believed he would become extremely strong.
Even Goeui's techniques were beyond imagination.
The others would probably be no different.
While thinking this, Jaha suddenly spotted someone in the distance and quickly hid himself.
So I meet him here.
Jaha had encountered someone he never expected to see.
Did he come here to embrace a woman before returning?
Jaha quickly shook his head.
No. Those people hold enormous power inside the Cult. There's no reason they'd embrace ordinary prostitutes when there are so many beautiful women inside the Cult.
The person Jaha had seen was Shinbi.
Huh?
And Shinbi was not alone.
Hwancheonma Shin Jeok emerged from the detached building where Shinbi had been standing.
Jaha had assumed Hwancheonma Shin Jeok and Shinbi immediately returned to the Demon Cult.
Apparently, he had been wrong.
Did they come here to bathe like me?
A brothel was one of the best places to find proper bathing facilities.
There were rumors that Hwancheonma Shin Jeok was almost obsessively clean.
Perhaps he simply wanted to wash the blood from his body and clothes.
However, Jaha felt that could not be the entire reason.
It was strange from the beginning that Hwancheonma left the Cult. Did these bastards really come out only because they were targeting Deung Hwahong?
Jaha began questioning it.
Deung Hwahong is important because she's the successor protecting the ultimate formation of the Nineteen Forbidden Demon Region. But is that really important enough to personally draw Hwancheonma outside?
Jaha shook his head.
If he did not know Hwancheonma personally, he might have accepted it.
But Jaha knew exactly what kind of man Hwancheonma was.
No. If the Demon Cult itself knew about Deung Hwahong, Hwancheonma wouldn't have moved. Geomcheonma, who wants expansion into the martial world more than anyone, would've taken action instead. Yet Hwancheonma, who barely moves even inside the Cult, came personally. That means Deung Hwahong probably wasn't his real reason. Then what was?
Jaha also felt that Hwancheonma's reason for remaining at this brothel was that he was waiting for something.
Someone approached Jaha while he was thinking.
His left hand suddenly moved by itself and tapped his forehead.
Byeok Ho's White Spirit was warning Jaha.
When Jaha turned around, Goeui was approaching.
"What are you doing here? Peeking at the courtesans while they undress?"
Jaha raised a finger to his lips, warning him to remain quiet, then pointed toward the detached building.
Goeui looked over.
His eyes widened.
Back inside their residence, Goeui asked,
"What are those bastards doing here?"
"I don't think they simply stopped here. They seem to have a purpose."
Goeui responded,
"Regardless of their reason, should we tell Magae?"
Jaha shook his head.
"No. Not yet."
"Why? If we tell Magae, he can inform the Martial Alliance and we can capture them."
"Hwancheonma isn't stupid. He'll leave this place before the Martial Alliance can arrive. Before that, we need to learn why he came here."
Goeui rubbed his chin.
"If we sneaked into their residence, we could listen to their conversation. But who can sneak into Hwancheonma's residence? Once someone enters within ten jang, he'll notice them. A master at Hwancheonma's level can detect even excellent stealth techniques."
That was exactly what troubled Jaha.
No matter how skilled someone's stealth art was, once they entered within ten jang of a peak master, detection was difficult to avoid.
After thinking for a while, Jaha suddenly grinned.
Goeui asked,
"You found another method, didn't you? You're not thinking about dressing like a woman and sneaking in, right? That's too obvious. Hwancheonma would notice immediately."
Jaha chuckled.
He had actually considered that method too.
However, if even Goeui could think of it, then Hwancheonma would obviously see through a disguise.
Hwancheonma was a suspicious old fox with enough patience to pretend to retreat from the Beggar Sect safe house, then hide nearby and continue watching.
People like that were not easily deceived.
Then Jaha remembered one method.
Studying all those strange demonic techniques finally paid off. Father used to scold me endlessly for wasting time learning useless little arts. But now that I'm outside in the real world, those useless arts seem even more useful than the powerful ones.
Until now, the techniques that had saved Jaha's life were not the Demon Cult's greatest martial arts.
They were strange demonic techniques that even most demonic martial artists ignored.
Of course, ordinary people could not learn them.
They were still secret martial arts generally accessible only to the Demon Cult's highest leadership.
However, people high enough to access them usually focused on destructive martial arts and ignored techniques that appeared useless.
"Would you like to hear my method?"
Seeing Jaha's eyes gleaming, Goeui swallowed.
He was already curious about what entertaining scheme Jaha had thought of this time.
