“Indeed. I’m confirming that the rumors aren’t false.”
“What rumors are going around?”
At Jin Cheon-hee’s question, the warrior hesitated slightly before speaking.
“The alias ‘Little White Dragon’ doesn’t just an dragon (龍), but also carries the aning of white (白), virtue, and dignity.”
How embarrassing.
Jin Cheon-hee said with a flushed face,
“Even if you say that, I haven’t done anything for you.”
“No, I just wanted to express my gratitude. Yesterday, you fixed my eldest brother’s back with acupuncture, didn’t you? He said he felt like he could live again.”
He expressed his thanks to Jin Cheon-hee like that.
It was very rewarding that a patient had recovered.
“By the way, how is Third Rat’s condition?”
“He’s lying down after receiving your ergency treatnt. He keeps waking up unable to even scream due to the intense pain, then passing out again from exhaustion.”
When the testicles are crushed, even acupressure is difficult.
Jin Cheon-hee learned this today through ergency surgery. He applied acupuncture to the points ntioned in books, but it only reduced the pain, not eliminated it.
And even if the pain was reduced, it still hurt just the sa since one testicle was completely shattered.
“If he’s lucky, we might be able to preserve the other testicle.”
In exchange for saving one testicle, Jin Cheon-hee obtained the loyalty of the Trio Assassin Rats.
Of course, it wasn’t loyalty expressed in words.
They signed a contract with a blank check. Literally a blank page.
There was only the contract at the top, with no content on the blank page.
Jin Cheon-hee could fill in whatever content he wanted to write. Yet they didn’t hesitate.
He was quite surprised by the unexpectedly deep brotherhood of the Trio Assassin Rats.
To think even the older brothers would sign to save Third Rat’s last testicle.
Jin Cheon-hee realized how heavy sworn brotherhood was in the martial world.
‘I see. So sworn brotherhood ans if one gets screwed, they all could get screwed.’
Yeo Ha-ryoon is strong.
As the protagonist, he was bound to survive until the end. But if Yeo Ha-ryoon went around cracking heads, that wrath would extend to Jin Cheon-hee too.
‘It must be a job in itself to constantly calm down that Heaven-Killing Star mad dog.’
He thought about writing a letter when they reached the port.
He knew the locations of a few Demonic Cult branch offices disguised as rchant groups.
If he sent it to one of those places, it should reach them sohow.
‘Hwanggu bit surprisingly cleanly(?), so the treatnt itself was doable.’
He had done everything humanly possible. Now, the fate of Third Rat’s remaining testicle was in the hands of heaven and earth.
anwhile.
In the distance, a massive and majestic city began to co into view.
Nanjing.
Originally the capital of the Hua Empire, after moving the capital to the north, it beca known as the southern capital.
A splendid and grand city with history and tradition entered Jin Cheon-hee’s sight.
‘Good. There’s been no problem so far. Now all that’s left is to catch the Ten-Thousand Fire Carp.’
Jin Cheon-hee’s eyes were shining.
***
The ship finally arrived at Nanjing. Nanjing’s port was certainly large and splendid, with rchants moving goods from various ships.
The sll of fishy fish, dried herbs, and spices mixed together.
Jin Cheon-hee had Third Rat and Flying Dagger wait on the ship. They would have to return once the mission was completed.
At that ti, they would be going against the river’s flow, so it would be more difficult than coming down.
‘Fortunately, the wind direction should be favorable, so that will probably be their lifeline.’
He wrote a prescription for Third Rat, who was still drifting in and out of consciousness.
If he went to a nearby dical hall affiliated with the White Dragon dical Pavilion, they would prepare a decoction suitable for Third Rat.
Woof, woof woof woof woof!
Local dogs from Nanjing gathered around Hwanggu.
Hwanggu barked a few tis, showing off to those dogs.
“Can you find what I’m looking for?”
Woof!
“Should we go now?”
Hwanggu shook its head at my words.
Whine.
“Then when, tomorrow?”
At my words, Hwanggu barked at the surrounding dogs.
At Hwanggu’s barking, the dogs looked at each other as if speaking, and then barked at a flat-nosed dog at the very back.
Woof! Woof woof!
The flat-nosed dog wagged its tail.
Eventually, Hwanggu answered Jin Cheon-hee with a short, low bark.
Woof!
“You an we should leave tomorrow?”
Then it nodded its head like a person.
Woof! Woof!
“Alright.”
As soon as Jin Cheon-hee finished speaking, Hwanggu started running towards Tang Mountain, leading the port dogs.
It seems to be searching.
“Is that the level needed to be the Pavilion Master’s ssenger dog? Or is Hwanggu just an exceptionally spiritual animal?”
It was amazing, but Jin Cheon-hee moved on to a nearby inn.
Hwanggu would return on its own when night fell.
***
He ate duck noodles at the inn.
‘The waiter recomnded it, so I tried it, and it’s incredibly delicious.’
The clear broth brought forth both the rich flavor of duck and the aroma of dicinal herbs simultaneously.
Jin Cheon-hee emptied three bowls of duck noodles.
After sleeping for a while with a full stomach, he woke up to find Hwanggu sitting at his bedside, looking down at him.
Woof!
“You want to leave now?”
Woof woof!
Hwanggu wagged its tail and quickly guided Jin Cheon-hee to the entrance.
Jin Cheon-hee packed the duck cold cuts he had ordered in advance from the waiter into his travel bag and set out.
He had prepared so for Hwanggu too, so the mountain path wouldn’t be boring.
‘The saying “travel to eat” fits perfectly.’
Although he ca because of his master, Jin Cheon-hee made sure to try famous local foods.
Upon entering Tang Mountain, Hwanggu guided him not to the area where the villas of powerful families were gathered, but towards the wild forest where paths didn’t connect.
Woof!
“This way seems perfect for an ambush.”
Woof woof! Woof!
“You think so too? But we have to go?”
Pant pant pant.
“Right. You’re correct. Can’t avoid making soy sauce just because you’re afraid of maggots. I wanted to gain more practical experience anyway, so this works out well.”
Jin Cheon-hee followed Hwanggu, changing direction.
To conserve his internal energy, he used lightness skills but moved his body as lightly as possible.
How deep had they gone along the steep mountain ridge when suddenly he sensed the presence of others.
‘Hmm. As expected, they’re following. By feeling, five? Six?’
Since he could notice while running like this, their skill level was obvious, so he wasn’t too worried.
Grr?
Hwanggu asked with a short gesture whether to beat them up and go, or continue to the end.
“No point in putting it off. Let’s go!”
Jin Cheon-hee grabbed the tree in front of him and pulled.
Using the wood qi of the Five Elents Divine Energy, when he pulled, it didn’t break but just bent like a bow.
He felt the firm tension under his hand.
“Having longer limbs is indeed good!”
Saying that, he released his strength.
Bang!
Jin Cheon-hee’s body flew backward due to the tree’s tension.
This startled those who were tracking Jin Cheon-hee.
“Oh, you even rembered to wear masks this ti?”
Jin Cheon-hee struck first. As he flew backward, he grabbed the shoulder of one of the ambushers and twisted it to both sides.
Crack!
The ambusher’s body spun around as if caught in a tumble dryer.
“I won’t kill you, but be prepared to be half-paralyzed. I’ll just barely let you live.”
“Die!”
Another masked figure scattered throwing stars towards Jin Cheon-hee.
Jin Cheon-hee’s body dodged in an arc. The first masked man with the twisted shoulder took the daggers instead.
Thud thud thud!
“Hey, the Trio Assassin Rats had good brotherhood, why are you guys like this? Not very close, are you?”
At that mont, Hwanggu bit the crotch of the masked figure who had thrown the stars.
Crunch!
“…!”
This masked figure also couldn’t even scream properly and slowly fell forward.
Even though the man had lost his will to fight, Hwanggu didn’t let go.
“Hwanggu wants to send just one guy for sure, huh.”
Grrr!
Judging by the angle, this ti both sides were ruptured.
That is, if he doesn’t die from Hwanggu’s fatal wound.
The third and fourth masked figures swung their swords at Jin Cheon-hee.
Killing intent-filled sword strikes!
Jin Cheon-hee unknowingly frowned slightly. Then he kicked a stone on the ground, mixing in the subtlety of Wind Qi, specifically the principle of swiftness.
Thud!
The stone lodged right in the center of the solar plexus.
For a mont, the pain disrupted his breathing. In that gap, Jin Cheon-hee lightly struck his Adam’s apple.
“Urgh!”
“You won’t be able to breathe for a minute, so don’t overdo it.”
Then he grabbed the man’s wrist and twisted it in the opposite direction.
Crack!
“Huk, ughuk!”
“If you want to hold a spoon again, find a doctor skilled in acupuncture. That is, if you can get down this mountain.”
The man dropped his sword in pain. Jin Cheon-hee caught it.
The fourth and fifth masked figures scattered their sword qi.
Normally, one would raise their sword to block the sword path.
But rather than blocking with the sword, Jin Cheon-hee tilted his body to the side and struck their elbows with the flat of the blade.
Crack.
“Argh!”
“Hmm. Judging by the feel of that break, you won’t be able to hold a spoon with your right hand.”
As he said that, he struck the fifth man’s chin with the flat of the blade.
Smack!
“You’ll only be eating porridge from now on.”
His jaw twisted in a strange direction.
And so he took down all five masked figures.
All of them had sothing dislocated or broken, and one might even die, but that was purely due to internal conflict within the team.
Whether the one judged by Hwanggu in the crotch would live or die was for Hwanggu to decide, so Jin Cheon-hee couldn’t know.
“Whew, I didn’t take a life today either. I’m really amazing. Even Buddha would praise and seat at his right hand if he saw .”
Urgh, ugh-
Ignoring the low groans of pain, Jin Cheon-hee said,
“If you find a good doctor, you should be able to live with minimal aftereffects.”
That’s right. Jin Cheon-hee had spared their lives. Spared…
But for so reason, the assassins felt this was more cruel than a fight where sword energy was scattered everywhere.
It’s usually easier to prepare for death than to prepare for being half-paralyzed.
“Hwanggu. Let’s go! Let that go now.”
Woof!
Only then did Hwanggu release its bite.
This ti too, the crotch was soaked. Fortunately, he seed to have at least learned so external martial arts, so he was still alive.
The rcy of ergency treatnt was enough for the Trio Assassin Rats.
Jin Cheon-hee prayed for the man’s soul.
***
After dealing with a few more attackers they encountered, they finally arrived at the entrance of an underground cave.
It was a low cave in a depression, with such a narrow entrance that it would be difficult for ordinary people to find.
‘Wow, I don’t think I could have found this without Hwanggu.’
No matter how familiar one was with the local geography, this was a place absolutely impossible to find with a human guide.
Before entering, Jin Cheon-hee enhanced his eyesight to look around the surroundings.
‘They’re not chasing anymore.’
Was it because they had learned Jin Cheon-hee’s martial arts level?
Or because they realized he would just barely let them live if they ssed with him?
Now, no one was bothering him anymore.
‘I guess they’ve decided it’s not worth it for a thousand gold taels.’
Jin Cheon-hee crouched down and looked at his feet.
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