"You... you came to save me."
"Of course."
Ma Dong-pil's face was a sight to behold.
Sssssss...
It felt as though an invisible heat haze was shimmering before his eyes, and faint sounds that shouldn’t be audible reached his ears. From the severed bamboo, an overwhelming spiritual energy was gushing forth. It was on a completely different level from the spiritual bamboo he had seen before. Not only was the quantity immense, but the quality of the condensed spiritual energy was extraordinary.
"This is truly remarkable spiritual energy."
"Right? It was so tough that even my sword couldn’t cut through it. I had to pull out my Dao tool just to cut a single bamboo."
It was said that the sword and the body were one, and the body and the sword were one. When he realized that the weapon and himself were no different, the sword became his body, and his body became the sword. This understanding settled into his heart, and since the heart is the source of Qi, the nature of the energy imbued in the sword also changed.
Ma Dong-pil slowly ran his finger along the cross-section of the severed bamboo.
'...What an incredible Dao tool.'
The surface was unnervingly smooth. Even if he were to wield his sword with the utmost strength, could he leave such a mark?
'Truly remarkable.'
Thinking back to eight months ago, when he was still at the level of an ordinary person, this growth was nothing short of astonishing. He thought he wouldn’t be surprised anymore, but the more time he spent with him, the more each day brought new wonders.
"By the way, Young Master."
"Yes, go ahead."
Ma Dong-pil's expression turned awkward.
"That fox..."
Seo-ryang glanced behind him.
A small fox was sitting behind him, wagging its tail. Its large ears and a tail longer than its body gave it an oddly mystical appearance.
"I don’t know. It was inside there. At first, it was sleeping soundly, but then it woke up and started gnawing on my left hand... huh?!"
Seo-ryang blinked.
"What? Where did the bite marks go?"
"Huh? What?"
"That little rascal of a fox was chewing on my left hand like it was a meaty bone. There was blood everywhere, so why is it already healed? Is its spiritual energy that strong?"
"That fox touched your body, Young Master?"
"Yes, it did."
Sssss...
Ma Dong-pil, who had stood up at some point, glared at the little fox.
His face, usually so stern, was now filled with a chilling aura, making Seo-ryang wave his hands in protest.
"How far are you going to take this? Just let it be, man. Now you’re trying to hold a beast accountable?"
"..."
"Relax your eyes."
Ma Dong-pil lowered his head and gave the little fox one last glare. His eyes were filled with the intent to deliver a brutal punishment if it dared to touch his body again.
Thump thump thump.
The little fox ignored him completely. It scratched its chin a few times with its hind leg and then lay down, staring at Seo-ryang's back.
A thick vein bulged on Ma Dong-pil's jaw. Being ignored by a mere beast didn’t sit well with him.
"What are you doing!"
"Ah, yes."
Ma Dong-pil crouched down beside Seo-ryang.
After examining the bamboo several times, Seo-ryang's expression turned serious.
"This won’t do. It’s too far to carry, so let’s purify it here."
"Yes, I’ll stand guard."
"Good."
Seo-ryang placed both hands on the bamboo, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes.
Oooooom...
The Dark Shadow Demon Art retreated, and the Wu'ai Art, which had been refined over the past eight months, took its place.
Sssssssss!
In an instant, the surrounding air became pure. Even the tiniest traces of turbid energy hidden within the abundant spiritual energy were being absorbed.
Ma Dong-pil watched the scene with a solemn expression.
'It’s always fascinating to watch.'
Removing the turbid energy from the surroundings to purify the air. Moreover, adjusting the concentration of the spiritual bamboo’s energy to a level that could be immediately absorbed.
'It’s not just that he knows a unique martial art. His understanding of Qi is incredibly profound.'
A look of wonder crossed his face.
'When did the Young Master gain such knowledge and insight?'
The more he looked, the less Seo-ryang seemed like a young man in his early twenties. Just moments ago, he had shown the experience of a seasoned veteran who had lived for decades.
Pssssss...
Finally, a heat haze rose from the bamboo.
It wasn’t an illusion—it was a real heat haze. Some of the highly concentrated spiritual energy stored in the bamboo was escaping into the air.
Seo-ryang's eyebrows twitched.
Crack!
Thick veins appeared on his hands as he gripped the bamboo node.
Rumble...
The ends of the bamboo gradually turned pale, and the tips split as if all the moisture had been sucked out.
Meanwhile, the part Seo-ryang held grew darker. He was extracting the unstable spiritual energy and condensing it into a single node, turning it into liquid.
Pssss... Pssssss...
The whitened ends turned gray and then crumbled into dust.
After some time, a pool of liquid had gathered inside the node.
Seo-ryang opened his eyes.
"It’s done."
"You’ve worked hard."
"Hard work? You drink first... huh?"
Seo-ryang's expression turned odd.
At some point, the little fox had curled up on his lap, fast asleep as if it wouldn’t wake up even if thunder struck.
"What? When did it get here?"
Ma Dong-pil was flustered.
"I... I was too busy looking around... but I didn’t sense its presence."
"Huh! This little thing is really something."
Seo-ryang gently stroked the fox’s nose with his finger.
'Hmm.'
The texture alone was a work of art.
"Young Master, let me take it. I’ll leave it nearby."
"Leave it? This one?"
"It might have a mother."
"Hmm... maybe. But it was alone in the deeper part of the forest."
"Maybe it wandered off for a bit. Even if not, there are no ordinary creatures in the Ghost Bamboo Forest. Even though it’s small, this one is clearly a rare treasure."
"That’s true."
Seo-ryang licked his lips. Still, seeing it dozing off on his lap made him feel bad about just abandoning it.
"First, drink half of this. Let’s think about what to do with this little one later."
Ma Dong-pil looked embarrassed.
"Young Master, how could I dare to take such a precious thing...?"
"Are you tired of hearing this after eight months?"
"This is different. It’s only right that you take it all."
"Are you going to make this awkward till the end? We’ve been through a lot together, so don’t be so cold. Just drink it."
"..."
"Before I knock your jaw off and pour it down your throat, just drink it. I want to try it too."
"..."
"You’re really frustrating. Just drink it already!!"
"...Thank you, Young Master."
Ma Dong-pil bowed slowly, his face filled with emotion.
No matter how close they were, sharing such a precious spiritual elixir was rare. Even lifelong friends or family members would fight over such a treasure. Yet, the Third Young Master was casually sharing it as if it were nothing.
Seo-ryang chuckled.
"Have you saved my life once or twice? If anything, I’m the one who should be sorry. Taking half of it feels like I’m robbing you."
"Young Master..."
"You’ve suffered a lot because of me in this wretched place. I mean it."
Ma Dong-pil felt a surge of emotion.
Being a bodyguard was a lonely job. No matter how hard you worked, one mistake could end everything. Even if you completed your mission perfectly, you’d only be told to stay more vigilant in the future.
In his life, he had never received such heartfelt gratitude. And now, after just over eight months of serving the Third Young Master, he was receiving it.
This was far more precious than any spiritual elixir.
"Until the day my duty ends, I will protect you, Young Master. No threat will reach you without passing over my corpse."
I get that you’re grateful, but hearing this in person is a bit embarrassing.
Seo-ryang scratched his head awkwardly.
'Huh?!'
His eyes widened.
He couldn’t sense any presence. There was no sound, no smell.
But the killing intent shaking the air, filled with spiritual energy, was unmistakable.
A blind, primal killing intent. It could only be described as a savage, overwhelming wave of murderous arrows heading straight for them.
Ma Dong-pil shouted as if spitting blood.
"Even if this mission ends, I will never forget your great kindness until the moment I die!"
"Hey! Enough already, just drink it!"
Ma Dong-pil closed his eyes. The Third Young Master really had no talent for showmanship.
"Your servant, Ma Dong-pil, after leaving the forest, will have no choice but to return to the Bodyguard Hall, but my heart will always..."
"Stop the speech and drink it already!"
"Young Master, my sincerity..."
"You idiot! Just drink it! Drink it!"
Thud!
Ma Dong-pil's eyes widened.
"Ugh?!"
His head tilted back, and his jaw dropped as the liquid poured into his open mouth.
"Cough! Gag!"
"Swallow it! Move your throat, you brat!"
While pouring the liquid, Seo-ryang glanced around.
"Damn it!"
Why are these guys so fast?
From the sky, black monstrous birds, the Zhu, descended like a flock of crows. Along with them, a giant ape over nine feet tall, and a couple of Green Horned Lizards slithering through the bamboo.
The fierce leopard he had seen earlier was also there. Its bright fur made it impossible to miss. Its speed was even more impressive than the Green Horned Lizards.
But that wasn’t all.
Crackle crackle!
Several bamboo stalks withered rapidly. It seemed like a few Earth Dragons were moving underground.
All the rare creatures he had seen so far were here. And from the west, strange and grotesque creatures he had never seen before were emerging.
After pouring about half, Seo-ryang swallowed the remaining liquid in one gulp.
Ma Dong-pil, who had been coughing, widened his eyes.
"W-what is this...?!"
"Cough! Gag! Hey! Run!"
"What’s going on all of a sudden?"
"How should I know?!"
Seo-ryang quickly scanned the surroundings.
"Northeast! The northeast is clear! Do you remember the way?!"
"Of course!"
"Such a reliable brat! Good, let’s run!"
As Seo-ryang prepared to use his movement technique, he glanced back.
Even in this chaos, the little fox was still sound asleep.
"...Damn it!"
A moment later.
"Hey! Catch!"
"Huh? Gasp!"
"Hold it carefully and run! I’ll cover the rear!"
"Y-young Master! I’ll cut off their pursuit!"
Seo-ryang raised his fist.
Zzzzzz!
A red demonic energy rose like smoke from his fist.
"Listen to me, you brat!!"
Boom!
"Ugh!"
Ma Dong-pil's body shot forward at an incredible speed. The heavy fist wind Seo-ryang had unleashed pushed him forward.
Using fist wind itself was an advanced martial principle. And using it not for striking but for pushing someone away was truly a masterful technique.
Ma Dong-pil's face was filled with shock. He knew the Young Master was strong, but he hadn’t expected this level.
"Young Master!"
Whoosh!
A bamboo split in half as Seo-ryang swung his sword.
Finally, he revealed the ultimate technique of the Slaughter King—Severing Heaven Three Strikes.
It wasn’t the most powerful technique, but it was the fastest to execute. This wasn’t the time to show off flashy moves.
Whoosh!
A powerful demonic energy rose from Seo-ryang's body.
He boldly shouted at the rare creatures.
"Don’t come any closer!"
Boom!