"Indeed. I’ve come to confirm that the rumors are not false," the martial artist said.
"What rumors are you talking about?" Jin Cheon-hee asked.
The martial artist hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"The nickname 'Little White Dragon' doesn’t just refer to a dragon. The 'white' symbolizes virtue and nobility as well."
Jin Cheon-hee’s face flushed with embarrassment.
"Even if you say that, I haven’t done anything to deserve such praise."
"Not at all. I just wanted to express my gratitude. Yesterday, you treated my eldest brother’s back with your chiropractic skills. He said he feels like he’s been given a new lease on life."
Jin Cheon-hee felt a sense of fulfillment.
Helping a patient recover was always rewarding.
"By the way, how is Sam-seo doing?" Jin Cheon-hee asked.
"After receiving your emergency treatment, he’s been lying down. The pain is so severe that he can’t even scream. He keeps waking up and collapsing from exhaustion."
Jin Cheon-hee had learned today that treating a ruptured testicle was no easy task.
Even after applying pressure to the acupoints as described in the medical texts, the pain only lessened slightly but didn’t disappear entirely.
And even if the pain was reduced, the agony of losing one testicle was still unbearable.
"If we’re lucky, we might be able to save the other one," Jin Cheon-hee said.
In exchange for saving one testicle, Jin Cheon-hee had secured the loyalty of the Three Killers.
Of course, it wasn’t just a verbal promise.
They had signed a blank contract, leaving the terms entirely up to Jin Cheon-hee.
Despite this, they didn’t hesitate.
Jin Cheon-hee was surprised by the depth of their brotherly bond.
To think that even the older brothers would sign the contract to save Sam-seo’s remaining testicle.
It made Jin Cheon-hee realize just how serious sworn brotherhood was in the martial world.
‘So, sworn brothers are like this.
If one falls, the others might follow.’
Ye Ha-ryun was strong.
As the protagonist, he would survive until the end.
But if Ye Ha-ryun went around breaking heads, the fallout would inevitably reach Jin Cheon-hee.
‘Keeping the Mad Dog of the Thousand Kill Star in check is going to be a full-time job.’
Jin Cheon-hee considered writing a letter once they reached the port.
He knew the locations of a few hidden bases of the Demon Sect disguised as merchant groups.
Sending a letter to one of them should suffice.
‘Hwang-gu’s bite was surprisingly clean (?), so the treatment itself was manageable.’
Jin Cheon-hee had done everything humanly possible.
Now, the fate of Sam-seo’s remaining testicle was up to the heavens.
Meanwhile, in the distance, a grand and majestic city began to come into view.
Nanjing.
Once the capital of the Hua Empire, it was now referred to as the southern capital after the court moved north.
A city steeped in history and tradition, its magnificent scale filled Jin Cheon-hee’s vision.
‘Good.
No problems so far.
Now, all that’s left is to capture the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Lotus.’
Jin Cheon-hee’s eyes gleamed with determination.
The boat finally arrived in Nanjing.
The port was indeed large and bustling, with merchants unloading goods from various ships.
The smell of fish, dried herbs, and spices mingled in the air.
Jin Cheon-hee left Sam-seo and Bi-geom on the boat.
Once the mission was complete, they would have to return.
Going against the river’s current would be more challenging than the journey here.
‘Fortunately, the wind direction should be in our favor.
That might be our saving grace.’
He wrote a prescription for Sam-seo, who was still drifting in and out of consciousness.
A nearby pharmacy affiliated with the White Scale Medical Hall would be able to prepare the right herbal decoction for him.
Woof, woof woof woof!
A pack of local dogs gathered around Hwang-gu.
Hwang-gu barked at them a few times, asserting his dominance.
"Can you find what I’m looking for?" Jin Cheon-hee asked.
Woof!
"Can we go now?"
Hwang-gu shook his head.
Whine.
"Then when? Tomorrow?"
Hwang-gu barked at the other dogs.
They seemed to communicate with each other, and eventually, the flat-nosed dog at the back of the pack barked in response.
Woof! Woof woof!
The flat-nosed dog wagged its tail.
Finally, Hwang-gu gave a short, low bark in Jin Cheon-hee’s direction.
Woof!
"So, we’ll set out tomorrow?"
Hwang-gu nodded like a human.
Woof! Woof!
"Got it."
As soon as Jin Cheon-hee finished speaking, Hwang-gu led the pack of port dogs and dashed toward Tang Mountain.
It seemed they were starting the search.
"Is this what it takes to be the Marshal’s messenger dog? Or is Hwang-gu just exceptionally gifted?"
It was fascinating, but Jin Cheon-hee turned his steps toward a nearby inn.
Hwang-gu would return on his own by nightfall.
At the inn, Jin Cheon-hee ate duck noodles.
‘Jeomsoi recommended this, and it’s incredibly delicious.’
The clear broth carried the rich flavor of duck and the aroma of medicinal herbs.
Jin Cheon-hee finished three bowls.
After a satisfying nap, he woke up to find Hwang-gu sitting by his bedside, looking down at him.
Woof!
"Are we leaving now?"
Woof woof!
Hwang-gu wagged his tail and quickly led Jin Cheon-hee to the entrance.
Jin Cheon-hee packed the duck jerky he had ordered from Jeomsoi earlier and set off.
He had prepared some for Hwang-gu too, so the mountain trail wouldn’t be boring.
‘The saying "travel to eat" really fits.’
Though he had come for his master, Jin Cheon-hee made sure to try the local delicacies.
As they entered Tang Mountain, Hwang-gu led them not to the area where the mansions of the wealthy were clustered, but to an untamed wild forest.
Woof!
"If we go this way, we’re just asking to be ambushed."
Woof woof! Woof!
"You think so too? But we have to go?"
Pant pant pant.
"Right. You’re correct. You can’t avoid making soy sauce just because you’re afraid of maggots. I’ve been wanting to gain more real combat experience anyway, so this works out."
Jin Cheon-hee followed Hwang-gu, turning onto a narrow path.
To conserve his internal energy, he used light footwork, moving as lightly as possible.
How far had they gone along the steep mountain ridge when Jin Cheon-hee suddenly sensed movement.
‘Hmm.
They’re following us.
From the feel of it, about five or six?’
Given that he could sense them even while running, their skill level was obvious, so he wasn’t too worried.
Growl?
Hwang-gu made a short motion, asking if they should beat them up now or wait.
"No point delaying. Let’s go!"
Jin Cheon-hee grabbed a tree in front of him.
Using the Wood Qi of the Five Elements, he pulled it back like a bowstring.
The tree bent but didn’t break, and a strong tension built up beneath his hands.
"Having long limbs really comes in handy!"
With that, he released the tension.
Thwack!
The tree’s tension launched Jin Cheon-hee backward.
The pursuers were caught off guard.
"Oh, you even brought masks this time?"
Jin Cheon-hee struck first.
As he flew backward, he grabbed the shoulder of one ambusher and twisted it to the side.
Crack!
The ambusher’s body spun like a washing machine.
"I won’t kill you, but you’ll have to live with being crippled. I’ll spare your life."
"Die!"
Another masked figure threw shurikens at Jin Cheon-hee.
Jin Cheon-hee dodged in an arc, and the first ambusher, whose shoulder had been dislocated, took the hit instead.
Thud thud thud!
"Hey, the Three Killers had such strong brotherly bonds. Why aren’t you guys close?"
At that moment, Hwang-gu bit the masked figure’s groin.
Crunch!
"……!"
The masked figure collapsed forward without even screaming.
Hwang-gu didn’t let go, even though the man had lost the will to fight.
"Hwang-gu, you really want to take one out, huh?"
Growl!
Judging by the angle, this time it was a double rupture.
As long as Hwang-gu’s fatal bite didn’t kill him, that is.
The third and fourth masked figures swung their swords at Jin Cheon-hee.
The killing intent was palpable.
Jin Cheon-hee instinctively furrowed his brow.
He then kicked a stone on the ground, mixing it with Wind Qi and the essence of Quickness.
Thud!
The stone struck the center of the masked figure’s chest.
For a moment, the pain disrupted his breathing.
Jin Cheon-hee took the opportunity to lightly strike his throat.
"Gah!"
"You won’t be able to breathe properly for a minute, so don’t push yourself."
He then grabbed the man’s wrist and twisted it the other way.
Crack!
"Gah, ugh!"
"If you want to hold a spoon again, go find a good chiropractor. That is, if you can make it down this mountain."
The man dropped his sword in pain.
Jin Cheon-hee caught it.
The fourth and fifth masked figures unleashed their sword techniques.
Normally, Jin Cheon-hee would have blocked with his sword.
But instead, he leaned to the side and struck their elbows with the flat of his blade.
Crack!
"Ahhh!"
"Hmm. Judging by the feel, you won’t be holding a spoon with your right hand anymore."
At the same time, he struck the fifth man’s jaw with the flat of the sword.
Smack!
"From now on, you’ll only be eating porridge."
The man’s jaw twisted in an unnatural direction.
And just like that, all five masked figures were defeated.
Each had at least one broken or dislocated limb, and one might even die, but that was due to infighting within the group.
Whether the one Hwang-gu had bitten would live or die was up to Hwang-gu.
Jin Cheon-hee couldn’t say.
"Phew, no killing today either. I’m really something. Even Buddha would praise me and seat me at his right hand."
Leaving behind the low groans of pain, Jin Cheon-hee said, "If you find a good doctor, you might live with fewer aftereffects."
That’s right.
Jin Cheon-hee had spared their lives.
Spared them...
But for the victims, being left alive felt even harsher than a fight where killing intent was freely unleashed.
After all, it’s easier to prepare for death than to live as a cripple.
"Hwang-gu, let’s go! Let go of that."
Woof!
Hwang-gu finally released his grip.
The area between the man’s legs was soaked in blood.
Fortunately, he had some external martial arts training, so he was still alive.
The mercy of emergency treatment was enough for the Three Killers.
Jin Cheon-hee prayed for the man’s peaceful rest.
After dealing with a few more ambushers, they finally arrived at the entrance of an underground cave.
It was a low cave in the ground, with an entrance so narrow that ordinary people would have a hard time finding it.
‘Wow, without Hwang-gu, I’d never have found this place.’
No matter how familiar one was with the area, it was impossible to find without a guide like Hwang-gu.
Before entering, Jin Cheon-hee enhanced his vision with internal energy and scanned the surroundings.
‘No one’s following us anymore.’
Perhaps they had realized Jin Cheon-hee’s martial prowess.
Or maybe they had figured out that he would only spare their lives if they didn’t provoke him.
Either way, no one dared to follow anymore.
‘They must have decided that the thousand taels of gold wasn’t worth the risk.’
Jin Cheon-hee crouched down and looked at the ground beneath his feet.